HIBIURY OF CONGRESS.* 



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J UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. | 



FULL COURSE OF INSTRUCTION 



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1 



EXPLANATION OF THE CATECHISM. 



By Rev. J. PERRY. 



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COLLEGES, ACADEMIES AND PRIVATE FAMILIES, 



BY A PRIEST OF THE MISSION. 



Sold in the Interest of Catholic Education, 



ST. LOUIS 
PATRICK FOX, BOOKS 

NO. 14 SOUTH FIFTH STREET. 

1875. 





Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, ^Y 

E. M. HENNESSEY, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



EDITOE'S PEEFACE. 



The Instructions contained in this volume have re- 
ceived the warm sanction of many Prelates in America 
and in Europe. In its former shape it better suited the 
teacher. In its present form it suits not only the teacher, 
but most especially the learner in an advanced class. The 
Catechism it develops is the same in substance as the one 
prepared by order of the First Plenary Council of Bal- 
timore, generally in use in the United States. The whole 
original is scrupulously preserved as published by Rev. 
J. Perry, and questions are appended, which make it a 
perfect class-book. It is no translation from any foreign 
language, but a masterly work written in plain English, 
which meets the wants of the Catholic youth of America. 
This Edition treats succinctly of the Immaculate Con- 
ception and Papal Infallibility, but these additions are 
carefully separated from the original. 

E. M. H., C. M. 

St, Louis ^ Feast of the Nativity, 1875. 



INTEODUCTION. 



I. Man was created for a most important end — ^* to 
love and serve God in this worlds and to be happy with 
Him forever in the next^^ — and the main business of our 
life consists in laboring for the attainment of this end. 
That we may not wander, or be led astray in this im- 
portant work, but may arrive securely at the end for 
which we were created, God has established a Church 
upon earth, and appointed it to be, in all nations 
throughout all ages, our Teacher and our Guide. In 
order to serve God as he wishes to be served by us — 
that is to say, in order to please God in this life so as to 
enjoy him in the next, we must believe the teaching and 
follow the guidance of his Church, because she teaches 
and guides the Faithful authoritatively, by his express 
commission and under his promised direction. 

We must believe whatever Christ teaches, as proposed 
and expounded to us by the Church; and the chief 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

things which we are thus required to beheve we learn 
from the exposition of the Apostles* Creed, 

But belief is not sufficient without practice. Faith will 
not save us without good works. We must keep, there- 
fore, the laws or Commandments of God; both those 
which were at first delivered to man by his own mouth, 
and also those which, by an authority received from 
him, are delivered to us by the mouth of his Church. 

But we cannot practice our faith, or keep the Com- 
mandments, without the help of God^s grace ; and hence 
the Catechism introduces the Commandments by a short 
exposition oi Prayer, which is a /;^d'^;^j'^^r^^<? indispens- 
ably necessary for all persons, is the easiest for us to 
have recourse to, is at all times and in all places com- 
pletely within our power, and the use of which requires 
not the outward administration of the Church. . 

II. To prayer must be added the use of the Sacra- 
ments which Christ has instituted in his Church, which 
are also efficacious means of grace — the most efficacious 
means wherewith he has furnished us, and without the 
use of which prayer will become ineffectual. It is very 
important, therefore, that every one should be acquainted 
with' these means of grace, and should know how to 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

make a good and profitable use of them, for a proper use 
of the Sacraments may be said to be the practice of Reli- 
gion, because thereby we shall infallibly obtain such 
graces as will secure the practice of all the rest. 

For, by making a proper use of the Sacraments, we 
shall not merely believe what God has taught and keep 
his Commandments, but we shall effectually root out our 
Vices and acquire all necessary Virtues; we shall advance 
rapidly in the practice of the Three Theological Virtues — 
our Faith will become every day more lively, our Hope 
and confidence in God more firm, and our Charity more 
pure and ardent; our souls will be adorned with the 
Gifts and enriched with the Fruits of the Holy Ghost ; 
we shall be enabled to be constantly laying up abundant 
stores of merit for the next life by the performance of 
the Wofks of Mercy ^ both corporal and spiritual^ and by 
the practice of the Three Eminent Good Works; and thus 
shall we become entitled to the inestimable Blessings 
promised in the Eight Beatitudes, 

In a word, the proper use of the Sacraments will en- 
able us to reduce to practice the Christian's Rule of Life ^ 
by leading us to a constant and faithful performance of 
the Christian's Daily Exercise; or, in other words, by 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

means of the Sacraments we shall be enabled to acquire 
the perj-ection which God expects from us, and to arrive 
securely at our last end — the possession of our God in a 
happy eternity. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Introduction 7 

Preliminary Instruction. — On the obligation and advan- 
tages of being instructed, and the lamentable conse- 
quences arising from ignorance 17 

Preliminary Instruction, continued. — On the means of 
acquiring instruction •. . 21 

Explanation of the Introductory Chapter of the 
Catechism. 

Instruction I. — On the existence of God, the end of our 

creation, the immortality of the soul, and free will 24 

Instruction II. — On the folly of neglecting salvation; on wor- 
shiping God by faith, hope, and charity ; and on the hap- 
piness of attending to this worship of God 28 

Instruction III.— The Rule of Faith 32 

Instruction IV.— The proofs of Infallibility 36 

Instruction V. — On Tradition 40 

Explanation of the Apostles'* Creed, 

iNSTRVCTio^ YI.— {First Ar^ic/e,) On the Apostles' Creed, 

and on the Attributes of God 44 

Instruction VII. — {First Article,) The Attributes of God, 

concluded 48 

Instruction VIII. — {First Article.) On the work of Crea- 
tion 62 



10 CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Instruction IX. — {^First Article,) On the Providence of 

God 56 

Instruction X. — {First Article, concluded^- Second Article.) 

On the Trinity, and the Incarnation 60 

Instruction XI. — {Second Article.) A short History of Re- 
ligion, from the first promise of a Redeemer to its fulfil- 
ment - 65 

Instruction yUl,— (Third Article.) The Birth of Christ, 
and his Life to the commencement of his Passion ; the 
Immaculate Conception *J\ 

Instruction XIII. — {Fourth Article,) Christ's Passion and 

Death 78 

Instruction XIV. — {Fourth Article, concluded— Fif{h Arti- 
cle.) On the Sign of the Cross; the Descent of Christ 
into Limbo, and his Resurrection 84 

Instruction XV. — {Sixth Article.) The Ascension of Jesus 

Christ ; Satisfaction, Redemption, and Impetration 89 

Instruction ^Wl,— {Seventh Article.) On the Day of 

Judgment 93 

Instruction XVII. — {Eighth Article.) The Descent of the 

Holy Ghost, and the Establishment of the Church 98 

Instruction XVIII. — {Ninth Article.) The Pastor's au- 
thority to teach and govern, and the People's obligation to 
hear and obey lOI 

Instruction XIX.— (iWwM Article.) The Supremacy of St. 

Peter ; the Church cannot err ; the Pope's Infallibility . . . 105 

Instruction XX. — {Ninth Article.) The four marks of the 

Church Ill 

Instruction XXI. — {Ninth Article.) The Communion of 

Saints, and Purgatory 115 



CONTENTS. 11 

PAGE. 

Instruction XXII.— ( Tenth Article. ) The power of forgiv- 
ing sins; original sin; mortal sin; venial sin : . 12 1 

Instruction y^y^W. — {Eleventh and Twelfth Articles,) 

Death ; Resurrection ; Hell ; Heaven 128 



Explanation of Grace and Prayer, 

Instruction XXIV. — The necessity of good works, and of 
grace, for Salvation .. 131 

Instruction XXV. — Prayer, vocal and mental; the obliga- 
tion of prayer, and the dispositions with which it should be 
accompanied 135 

Instruction XXVI. — The Lord^s Prayer 139 

Instruction XXVII. — The Invocation of Saints and Angels; 
they can hear us ; they pray for us ; we may ask them to 
pray for us 142 

Instruction XXVIII. — Our Guardian Angel; the ** Hail 

Mary" 148 

Explanation of the Ten Commandments, 

Instruction XXIX. — {First Commandment,) The Com- 
mandments in general; what the First Commandment 
requires, and what it forbids 151 

Instruction XXX. — {First Commandment,) The lawful- 
ness of making images ; of honoring the Angels and Saints, 
and of showing respect to relics, crucifixes, and holy pic- 
tures 158 

Instruction XXXI. — {Second Commandinent.) How we are 
to speak of God ; vows and oaths ; cursing and blasphem- 
ing, and profane language 163 



12 CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Instruction XXXII. — {Third Commandment.) Its obliga- 
tion transferred from Saturday to Sunday ; its desigm ; its 
importance ; the duties it requires from us 1 68 

Instruction XXXIII. — {Fourth Co?nmandment,) The obli- 
gation of children to be dutiful to their parents ; the duties 
which this obligation requires from them 1 73 

Instruction XXXIV. — {Fourth Commandment,) The duties 

of parents towards their children 177 

Instruction XXXV. — {Fomth Commandment.) The duties 
of servants and masters towards each other ; of subjects 
towq^-ds the civil power, and of the people towards their 
pastors 181 

Instruction XXXVI. — {Fifth Commandment.) Murder; 
•quarrelling ; anger, revenge, envy, and hatred ; giving 
scandal and bad example 187 

Instruction XXKNll.— {Sixth and Ninth Commandments.) 
Chastity commanded; impurity forbidden; in what this 
vice consists ; its remedies 192 

Instruction XXXVIII. — {Seventh and Tenth Command- 
ments.) Acts of injustice; restitution to be made; coyet- 
ousness to be avoided 197 

Instruction '^y^Y^.— {Eighth Commandment.) Lies; rash 
judgment ; calumny, and detraction 201 

Instruction XL. — {Ninth and Tenth Commandments.) The 
government of the heart ; evil thoughts and desires ; 
temptations arising therefrom ; the means to be employed 
against them 206 

Explanation of the Commandments of the Church. 

Instruction XLI, — {First and Second Commandments of the 
Church.) The obligation of obeying the Church, and of 
hearing Mass on all Sundays and holydays 210 



CONTENTS. 13 

PAGE. 

Instruction XLII. — {Third Commandment of the Chufch,) 
Abstinence and fasting shown to be Scriptural ; the times 
and manner of fasting; its advantages ; objections answer- 
ed 215 

Instruction XLIII. — {Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Command- 
ments of the Church.) Annual Confession; Easter Com- 
munion ; prohibitions regarding marriage 22 = 

Explanation of the Sacraments, 

Instruction XLIV. — On the Sacraments /*« ^^«^r«3^/ 227 

Instruction XLV. — {Baptism.) Baptism is a true Sacra- 
ment; its effects; its minister; necessity; the preparation 
required in adults ; sponsors; ceremonies 235 

Instruction XLVI. — {Confirmation.) Confirmation is a true 
Sacrament ; its effects ; its minister ; its necessity ; the 
preparation required ; ceremonies 243 

Instruction XLVII. — {Holy Eucharist.) The outward sign 
of the Holy Eucharist ; its inward grace ; its institution, 
the Scriptural account of which proves the Real Presence ; 
objections answered 250 

Instruction XLVIII. — {Holy Eucharist, continued.) Power 
given to consecrate; Transubstantiation ; Communion in 
one kind ; the effects of Communion 257 

Instruction XLIX. — {Holy Eucharist, continued.) How to 

prepare for Communion 262 

Instruction L. — {The Mass.) Sa-crifice in general ; the four 
ends of Sacrifice ; the Sacrifice of the Mass ; proofs ; the 
Mass answers all the ends of Sacrifice 268 

Instruction LI. — {The Mass, continued.) Manner of assist- 
ing at Mass. By using a Prayer-book; by reflecting on 
the Passion ; by attending to the four ends of Sacrifice 273 



14 CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Instruction LII. — {Penance i.) Penance is a true Sacra- 
ment — i. e., an outward sign of inward grace, instituted by 
Christ ; its minister ; its necessity ; its effects 281 

Instruction LIII. — {Penance ii,) Contrition; its nature; its 

necessity ; its qualities 287 

Instruction LIV. — {Penance \\\.) A firm purpose of amend- 
ment, marks of true sorrow for sin, and the means of obtain- 
ing it 292 

Instruction LV. — {Penance iv.) Perfect and imperfect Con- 
trition further explained ; advantages of having the fear of 
God 296 

Instruction LVI. — {Penance y.) Necessity of Confession 

proved, and its great advantages 302 

Instruction LVII. — {Penance vi.) The quaUties of Confes- 
sion ; General Confessions -. 308 

Instruction LVIII. — {Penance yi\») Preparation for Confes- 
sion - 314 

Instruction LIX. — {Penance viii.) Manner of making Con- 
fession; Absolution 317 

Instruction LX. — {Penance ix. ) On Satisfaction 321 

Instruction LXI. — {Penance x.) Indulgences — Partial and 
Plenary ; the Church can grant them ; her intention in 
granting them ; the dispositions and conditions for gain- 
ing them ; whence they derive their efficacy 327 

Instruction LXII. — {Extreme Unction.) Extreme Unction 
is a true Sacrament ; its effects ; its necessity ; when and 
by whom it should be received ; its ceremonies ; the dis- 
positions required 334 

Instruction LXIII. — {Holy Order,) Priesthood necessary 
to Religion; Order and Mission necessary to the Priest- 
hood; Holy Order a true Sacrament; the different Orders ; 
disposition for receiving Holy Orders ; Celibacy 341 



CONTENTS. 15 

PAGE. 

Instruction LXIV. — {Matfimony.) Matrimony as a con- 
tract ; it is a true Sacrament ; indissoluble ; conditions re- 
quired ; consent of parents ; impediments .. 348 

Instruction LXV. — {Matrimony ^ concluded.) The disposi- 
tions for receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony; duties 
and obligations of married people 351 

Explanation of Virtues and Vices, 

Instruction LXVI. — {Faith,) The nature, necessity, and 

exercise of the virtue of Faith; the sins against Faith 356 

Instruction LXVII. — {Hope. ) The nature, necessity, 
grounds, advantages, and exercise of the virtue of Hope; 
the sins against I lope 361 

Instruction LXVIII. — {Charity : its first branch.) The 
Love of God ; its nature ; its necessity ; grounds of its 
obligation ; its exercise ; its effects ; means of obtaining 
and increasing it 367 

Instruction LXIX. — {Charity : its second branch.) Why 
we must love our neighbor ; how we must love him ; we 
must love even our enemies 373 

Instruction LXX. — ^The Four Cardinal Virtues 377 

Instruction LXXI. — The Seven Gifts, and Twelve Fruits of 

the Holy Ghost 380 

Instruction LXXII. — The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy 385 

Instruction LXXIII. — The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy 389 

Instruction LXXIV. — The Eight Beatitudes 392 

Instruction LXXV. — The Seven Deadly Sins, and contrary 

virtues 396 

Instruction LXXVI. — The Six Sins against the Holy Ghost; 
the Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance ; the Nine 
Ways of being accessory to another Person's Sins 402 



16 CONTENTS 



PAGE. 

Instruction LXXVIl.— The Three Eminent Good Works ; 



the EvangeUcal Counsels ; the Four Last Things to be Re- 
membered 406 

Explanation of the Christianas Rule of Life, 

Instruction LXXVIII. — The founding of Christian Reli- 
gion; the Rule of Life which this Religion teaches, viz., 
to hate sin, to love God, and to love our neighbor 412 

Instruction LXXIX. — The Christian's Rule of Life requires 
us also to 'deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to fol- 
low Christ 417 

Instruction LXXX. — The enemies of our salvation, viz., the 

devil, the world, and the flesh - 420 

Explanation of the Christianas Daily Exercise, 

Instruction LXXXI. — What we are to do in the morning, 

and how we are to go through the day 425 

Instruction LXXXII. ^Further directions how we should 

go through the day ; how we should finish the day 431 



A FULL COURSE OF INSTRUCTIONS 

FOR THE USE OF CATECHISTS. 



PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 

On the Obligation and Advantages of being Instructed^ and 
the lamentable consequences arising from Ignorance, 

Since God has made us." to know him, love him, and 
serve him in this world, and to be happy with him for- 
ever in the next," it follows, as a necessary consequence, 
that we are bound to take the means of accomplishing 
this end of our creation. But,' as we cannot take means 
of which we are ignorant, it also follows that we are 
bound to learn what those means are, and how to em- 
ploy them. Now, we acquire this necessary knowledge 
by acquiring a knowledge of our Religion, and, therefore, 
as attending Catechetical Instruction is the chief means 
by which people generally come to know their Religion, 
I will show, I St, The Necessity of each one learning his 
Rehgion, or the Obligation of attending to Religious 
Instruction; 2d. The great Advantages of being well 
instructed; and 3d. The lamentable Evils arising from 
ignorance. After this, I will point out the Means of 
becoming instructed. 

I. The OBLIGATION of learning our Religion arises, in 
the first place, from the express command of Almighty 
God. In the Old Law, God commanded his people to 
be careful to learn his precepts and ordinances, the 
ceremonies of Religion, and what he had done for them, 
and to teach these things to their children : " Lay up 

Why are we bound to take the means of attaining the end of our 
creation ? How can we learn what these means are ? How do you 
prove the necessity of ReUgiou's Instruction from the Old Law ? 



18 PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 

these words in your hearts and minds, and hang them 
for a sign on your hands, and place them between your 
eyes; teach your children that they may meditate on 
them." (Deut. xi. i8, 19, 20.) Are Christians to be less 
diHgent, etc. ? : 

In the New Law, Christ requires his .Apostles (and 
their successors) to "teach all nations;" (Matt, xxviii. 
19) to "preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 
xvi. 15.) Now, this implies a necessity in the people to 
learn. And we may judge of the importance of being 
instructed by the diligence with which the Apostles ful- 
filled this duty of teaching, and also by the express 
declaration of Christ : " He that believeth not," i. e., he 
who receives not what you teach, "shall be condemned." 
(Mark xvi. 16.) And again, "He that heareth you 
heareth me ; and he that despiseth you despiseth me ; " 
(Luke X. 16) i. e., he who refuses or neglects to hear 
you^ is as guilty as if he refused or neglected to hear me ; 
because you teach in my name and by my authority. 

But if God had given no express command on this 
subject, still you would be obliged to get instructed, 
because a knowledge of Religion is necessary for being 
saved. Now, this knowledge consists in knowing God — 
his perfections, the wonders of his works, and what he 
has done for us ; in knowing the end of our creation, 
the homage we owe to our Creator, and how we are to 
pay it, the commandments we have to observe, and the 
rewards we have to gain, and knowing the means of 
gaining those rewards. And can you be well acquainted 
with these important truths, without taking means to 
learn them ? 

I . Instruction, then, teaches us to know God — his 
perfection; what he has done for us as Creator, what as 
Redeemer, and the other articles of Christian belief. All 
these we must believe, for " without faith it is impossible 
to please God;" (Heb. xi. 6) and "he that believeth 
not shall be condemned." (Mark xvi. 16.) But how 

How from the New Law? How from Reason? In what does 
Religious Knowledge consist ? 



PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 19 

can we believe without knowing ? and how can we know 
without getting instructed ? " How shall they believe 
him^ of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they 
hear without a preacher ? Faith then cometh by hear- 
ing." (Rom. X. 14, 17.) {Example of the Eunuch of 
Qtieen Candace — " Philip said : Thinkest thou that thou 
understandest what thou readest ? who said : And how 
can I, unless some man show me ? ") (Acts viii. 30, 31.) 

2. We are placed in this world for a particular end, 
viz.: to worship God and keep his commandments in 
this life, and to be rewarded in the next. Now, we wor- 
ship God and keep his commandments by practicing 
the Religion of Christ. But how can we practice it, 
unless we are instructed in what the Christian Religion 
teaches ? Persons ignorant of their duty are answerable 
for their ignorance, if, through their own fault, they have 
neglected Instructions. You hardly can be ignorant, 
except through your own fault, because public instruc- 
tions are regularly given, and by attending to them 
every one may know all that is necessary for salvation, 
all the necessary means of being saved. 

3. Among these means of salvation the most effectual 
are the Sacraments. By a good use of them we receive 
grace (without which we can do nothing), for they are 
the channels of grace. How important then it is to be 
instructed in the nature and effects of the Sacraments, 
and in the dispositions necessary for worthily receiving 
them ! For, without knowing these we cannot make a 
good use of the Sacraments, and thus, without instruc- 
tion, the means of salvation become useless. 

\Apply in a similar manner any other important duties. \ 
•II. There are very great advantages to be derived 
from attending religious instructions. For Religion is 
the science of salvation — by learning what it teaches, 
you learn how to save your soul ; what advantages, then, 
in attending instructions ? Salvation is a difficult work, 

In order to be saved must we be taught to know God ? Why 
are we placed in this world? For what are ignorant persons 
responsible ? Why is it important to know the Sacraments ? 



20 PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 

beset with temptations and snares; the enemy is always 
seeking your ruin; now, instruction enables us to pass 
uninjured through all these difficulties, etc. 

We cannot be too well instructed. Good instruction 
is a seed which, sooner or later, will produce fruit. Well- 
instructed persons are more firm in their faith, can with- 
stand greater assaults, etc., because they know how to 
cast themselves on God and to seek his assistance, there- 
fore, they are not so liable to fall off. And if they do 
fall, they more easily rise, because they know the means, 
and they sooner rise, because their remorse is greater — 
they cannot still the voice of their conscience. What 
advantages, then, in being well instructed ? 

III. But, on the other hand, most lamentable are 
THE CONSEQUENCES arising from ignorance. It is im- 
possible to enumerate the evils, etc. Ignorance is the 
cause of heresies and of persecutions : " For if they had 
known they would never have crucified the Lord of 
glory." (i Cor. ii. 8.) Whence proceeds such a general 
forgetfulness of God ? what is the cause of that indiffer- 
ence for Religion which is so common in the world ? 
Ignorance, For no wonder that Religion is so little 
practiced by those who are ignorant of what it teaches. 
It will be found, at the last day, that many have been 
lost through ignorance, who, had they attended to in- 
structions, would have been saved. For, as St. Augus- 
tine says, " Ignorance, when avoidable, is a sin." And 
as it is a sin attended with such la^nentable consequences, 
take care not to become guilty of it; with this view, 
resolve to be attentive in future to religious instructions. 

What is the first advantage? What the second? What the 
lamentable consequences of Religious Ignorance ? 



PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 21 

PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION— Continued. 
On the Means of Acquiring Instruction. 

Having shown the Obligation and Advantages of 
attending to reUgious instruction, and also the great 
Evils arising from ignorance^ I will now point out the 
Means which you should employ of becoming instructed. 
You have abundant means, if you will but make use of 
them. 

I. The first means is by Private Instruction^ i. e., by 
such as is derived from parents or friends, or from one's 
own reading. 

They who can read, ought^ for the being able to read 
iS a talent to be returned with interest; they who ca?inot 
read may easily get others to read for them, and they 
would, if truly zealous and anxious to be instructed. 
[Example: When persons are deficient in the knowledge 
of their trade, do they not take every means and oppor- 
tunity of gaining more information ? ) 

They who are able to instruct the ignorant, cannot 
perform a more meritorious work — it is a great charity; 
it is one of the spiritual works of mercy; it is what 
Christ came from heaven to do, and to set us an ex- 
ample of. "They who instruct many to justice, shall 
shine as stars for all eternity." (Dan. xii. 3.) It is a 
work most pleasing to God, highly beneficial to our 
neighbors and also to ourselves, for it will draw down 
blessings on both. 

But fathers, mothers, and all heads of families, are 
more particularly called upon to perform this office of 
instruction : " If any man have not care of his own, and 
especially those of his house, he hath denied the faith, 
and is worse than an infidel." (i Tim. v. 8.) Some 
parents imagine themselves excused from the obligation 
of instructing, thinking it is their Pastor's duty. It is his 

What is the first means of Religious Instruction? Is it meri- 
torious to instruct others ? Explain it ? What are parents' duties 
in this regard ? 



22 PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 

duty, but they are not excused on that account; they are 
more strictly bound, with regard to their own children 
than their Pastor, yet how generally is this duty neg- 
lected. How many parents will have reason to weep 
and tremble when they stand before the judgment-seat 
of God ? for they will have a severe account to give. 

It follows, therefore, that ill-instructed parents are 
under a double obligation of attending instructions, in 
order that, by becoming instructed themselves, they may 
be able to teach their children. Every parent can and 
ought to teach his children who God is, to say their 
prayers, to avoid sin, to fear hell, to desire heaven, etc. 

2. The second means is by Public Instruction; that is, 
by attending regularly at the instructions which are 
given publicly by their Pastor. This is a means of divine 
institution : " The lips of the Priest shall keep knowledge, 
and they shall seek the law at his mouth." (Mai. ii. 7.) 
" Go and teach all nations, . . teaching them to observe 
all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and 
behold I am with you all days, even to the end of the 
world;" (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20) and, therefore, "he that 
heareth you heareth me." (Luke x. 16.) Thus it is 
Christ himself who teaches by his ministers : " For 
Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were 
exhorting by us." (2 Cor. v. 20.) The opportunity of 
receiving instruction from those who are duly appointed 
to teach, is a special grace, ... to be accounted for here- 
after. How many neglect this grace, and allow those 
under their charge to neglect it also .? 

There are some who think it a matter of little conse- 
quence to neglect the explanation of the Catechism, 
imagining themselves sufficiently instructed — a sure 
sign they are ignorant. In the affair of Religion and 
salvation, even the most learned have always something 
more to learn. [Paraphrase the parable of the talents, 
(Matt. XXV. 14-30) by showing that the more persons have 

Is the second means, public instruction, a divine institution? Is 
it a matter of consequence to neglect the explanation of the Cate- 
chism ? 



PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 23 

the more they are expected to gain, and that if they do not 
improve their ialerit it will be taken away.] 

Those persons who imagine themselves to be suf- 
ficiently instructed may, perhaps, know their Prayers, 
the Articles of the Creed, the Commandments, the Sacra- 
ments. But is nothing more required of them ? Do 
they know how to defend the articles of their belief? 
Are they " always ready to satisfy every one that asketh 
them a reason of that hope which is in them?" (i Peter 
iii. 15.) Do they know what particular actions are for- 
bidden by each Commandment ? and how to make the 
best use of the Sacraments ? Do they know how to 
escape the dangers of the world, the snares, delusions 
and temptations of the devil, the allurements of self-love, 
and of their passions ? Do they know the best means 
of becoming daily more and more perfect ? Until you 
know all these you are not so sufficiently instructed as to 
be at liberty to neglect the public instructions of your 
Pastor, unless distance, or some other great inconve- 
nience, excuse you. For these public instructions are 
not for children only^ but for all. 

Persons will sometimes excuse themselves from attend- 
ing by saying they have no time. No time ! Why are 
they forbidden to work on Sundays and HoUdays? 
Why are they sent into this world ? What is time given 
them for ? Is it really want of time^ or want of zeal and 
diligence ? Could they not find time by a little forecast 
and contrivance? And, after all, what employment is 
so important as learning how to save one's soul ? " What 
doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose 
his own soul ? " (Matt. xvi. 26.) Be diligent, therefore, 
and regular in attending, etc. 

3. I will now say a few words, in conclusion, on the 
dispositions necessary for profiting by instructions. You 
should ask God to enlighten your mind to understand, 
and to dispose your heart to receive and practice what 

Are they sufficiently instructed who merely know their Prayers ? 
Does the plea of having no time hold good ? 



24 END OF MAN, ETC. 

you are about to hear. (Acts xvi. 4.) " Our words, when 
we instruct (says St. Augustine), are Uke the labors of a 
gardener when he cultivates, they cannot produce any 
fruit unless God give it." For it is " God that giveth 
the increase." (i Cor. iii. 7.) To God, then, we must 
apply ; the Pastor before he instructs, the people before 
they hear; the Pastor, also, after he has instructed, 
should ask a blessing on what he has said, the people 
on what they have heard. 

During the time of instruction you should, of course, 
be very attentive; when you hear anything which is 
particularly applicable to yourselves, you should try to 
remember it, and should resolve there and then to put 
it in practice. For the chief end of instruction is to 
know what to practice and how to practice it. In order 
to be " blessed," you must not only '''hear the word of 
God," but you must also "keep it^ (Luke xi. 28.) "My 
word shall not return to me void'' (Isaiah Iv. 11.) 

What are the dispositions necessary to profit by Religious In- 
struction ? 



EXPLANATION OF THE 

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER OF THE CATECHISM. 



Instruction I. 

On the Existence of God, the End of our Creation^ the 
Immortality of the Soul, and Free-wilL 

Who made you ? — God. 

Why did God make you? — To know him, love him, and serve 
him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in the next. 

To whose likeness did God make you ? — God made me to his own 
image and likeness. 

Is this likeness in your body or in your soul ?— In my soul. 

In what is your soul like to God? — In this, that my soul is a spirit, 
has understanding and free-will, and is immortal. 



END OF MAN, ETC. 25 

What do you mean when you say your soul is immortal? — I mean 
that my soul can never die. 

In what else is your soul like to God? — In this, that as in one God 
there are three persons, so in my one soul there are three powers. 

Which are these three powers? — My will, my memory, and my 
understanding. 

I. The Catechism very properly commences by point- 
ing out the existence of a God as our Creator, and that 
we are bound, as his creatures, to know, love, and serve 
him. 

How do you know that there is a God ? 

1 . The very fact of our own existence proves it ; for^ 
if we ask ourselves this question : " Who made me ? " we 
can find no reasonable answer except this, "/4 self -existent 
Being.'' Again, if we ask the different things around us, 
their answer must be the same. From this self-existence 
of God all his other perfections flow. 

2. The magnificence and harmony of the creation 
prove it; all nature proclaims the existence of a God. 

3. There is another proof which comes more honfe : 
conscience proves there is a God, that there is an all- 
seeing witness. . . . For, whence come that pleasure 
which we experience after performing good. works? con- 
solation in patient suffering ? confidence in death ? 
Whence that remorse after secret crimes ? terrors at 
death? etc., etc. Hence, there cannot be a real Atheist. 

II. Knowing, then, that there is a God (and we are 
bound to know this, for God made us to know him), we 
must, as a necessary consequence of this knowledge, love 
and serve him. For, why did God make you ? 

St. Paul teaches us that we cannot "come to God," 
or be eternally happy with him, " without believing that 
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him." 
(Heb. xi. 6.) But if we content ourselves with kiiowing 
and believing only, we fall short, etc. For God com- 
mands us to love him also, and to love him above all 
things, i. e., with a love oi preference : "For he that 

How do you know there is a God from Creation? How from 
Conscience ? Must we love and serve Ijod ? 



26 END OF MAN, ETC. 

loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of 
me." (Matt. x. 37.) [Example of Abraham in being 
ready to sacrifice his only son (Gen. xxii.), and also of 
the Apostles^ in being able to say : " Who shall separate 
us from the love of Christ ? shall tribulation ? or perse- 
cution ? or the sword ? . . . I am sure that neither life, 
nor death, . . nor things present, nor things to come, . . 
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from 
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'* 
(Rom. vii. 35, 38, 39.) Every one of us should be able 
to say the same.) 

How are you to show that you love God ? 

By faithfully serving him : " If you love me, keep my 
commandments." (John xiv. 15.) Like the Martyrs, we 
must be ready to suffer all, to sacrifice all, rather than 
disobey, etc. 

This knowing, loving and serving God is the way by 
which we are to arrive at the great end for which we 
were created — the enjoyment of God in a happy eter- 
nity. For, 

Why did God make you ? — To know him, love him, and serve 
him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in the next. 

The happiness provided for us in the next life cannot 
be conceived, much less described; it consists in the 
beatific vision. (^Example: How enraptured with delight 
the three Apostles were when they beheld our blessed 
Lord transfigured before them!) (Matt. xvii. 1-9.) The 
happiness of heaven is to be given to us as a reward; 
we are placed here a short time in a state of trial to 
merit it. Therefore, be diHgent in loving and serving 
God, and he will be liberal in rewarding you — he will 
make you happy with himself in heaven, because that is 
the end for which he created you. 

III. To whose likeness did God make you? — God made me to his 
own image and likeness. 

Is this likeness in your body or in your soul? — In my soul. 

After having created heaven and earth, God held a 
In what does future happiness consist? 



END OF MAN, ETC. 27 

council within himself, " and he said : Let us make man 
to our own image and likeness . . and God created man 
to his own image." (Gen. i. 26, 27.) The whole business 
of our life consists in laboring to perfect this image of God 
in our soul. 

In making man, God formed his body " of the slime 
of the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of 
life, and man became a living soul (Gen. ii. 7), i. e., God 
gave him a soul which is spiritual and immortal^ like 
himself 

What do you mean when you say your soul is immortal? — I mean 
that my soul can never die. 

When the body dies, the soul does not. How do we 
know this ? We know it 

1. From reason. The soul is a spirit, and reason 
shows that it is not the nature of a spirit to die, because, 
being a simple, immaterial substance, it contains in itself 
no principle of dissolution. 

2. From the divine justice. For, being infinitely just, 
God will reward virtue and punish vice. Now, it very 
often happens that, during life, the wicked prosper, etc., . . 
while the good are afflicted, oppressed, persecuted unto 
death, etc. . . But if there were no future life, where 
would be the justice of God? This consideration made 
the Psalmist say : " Behold these are sinners, and yet 
abounding in the world they have obtained riches . . and 
/ have been scourged all the day. ... I studied that I 
might know this thing ; it is labor in my sight until I go 
into the sanctuary of Gdli, and understand concerning 
their last ends." (Ps. Ixxi. 12-17.) 

3. From divine Revelation (3 Kings xvii. 21, 22; 
Matt. xii. 32; Lk. xvi. 22-31; Lk. xxiii. 42, 43; i Pet. 
iii. 19, 20). " God created man incorruptible." (Wisd. 
ii. 23.) " The souls of the just are in the hand of God, 
and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the 
sight of the unwise they seemed to die ; and their going 

How do we know that the soul is immortal from reason ? How 
from Divine Justice ? How from Revelation ? 



28 NECESSITY OF WORSHIPPING GOD. 

away from us was taken for utter destruction : but they 
are in peace; . . their hope is full of immortality." (Wisd. 
iii. 1-4.) 

IV. What is meant h^j free-will ? 

It is that power or faculty of the soul by which we 
are enabled to choose either to do good or to do evil. 
Free-will is. necessary in a state of trial, for without it 
there would be no merit. " Before man is life and death, 
good and evil; that which he shall choose shall be given 
him." (Eccli. xv. 18; Deut. xxx. 15, 19.) "God will 
render to every man according to his works." (Rom. 
ii. 6.) 



Instruction II. 

On the Folly of Neglecting Salvation; on Worshipping God 
by Faith ^ Hope and Cha'rity ; and on the Happiness of 
Attending to this Worship of God. 

Which must you take most care of, your body or your soul? — Of 
my soul. 

Why so? — Because Christ has said: ** What doth it profit a man 
if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." 

What must you do to save your soul? — I must worship God by 
faith, hope and charity; that is, I must believe in him, hope in him, 
and love him with my whole heart. 

I. These words, " What doth it profit a man if he 
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul," (Matt, 
xvi. 26) . . . deserve our most serious attention, yet, alas, 
how few reflect, etc. . . To judge from the general con- 
duct of mankind, we might suppose that ' riches and 
earthly enjoyments are the sole objects of their pursuit. 
. . . Yet how little do these things profit, etc. ? 

Example of Solomon : " He surpassed in riches all that 
were before him in Jerusalem; " and he said : " Whatso- 
ever my eyes desired, I refused them not ; and I with- 
held not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and 

How do you prove the folly of neglecting salvation, from the 
words of our Lord ? How from the example of Solomon ? 



NECESSITY OF WORSHIPPING GOD. 29 

delighting itself in the things which I had prepared. 
And when I turned myself to the labors wherein I had 
labored in vain, I saw in all things vanity and vexation 
of mind." (Eccles. ii. i-ii.) 

Example of the rich man who was summoned out of life 
in the very act of exulting in his wealth : Rejoicing in his 
abundance, he said : " Soul, thou hast much goods laid 
up for many years ; take thy rest ; eat, drink, and make 
good cheer. But God said to him: Thou fool! this 
night thy soul shall be required of thee ; and whose shall 
those things be which thou hast provided. So is he 
that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward 
God." (Luke xii. 16-31.) 

Example of Dives and Lazarus : "There was a certain 
rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and 
feasted sumptuously every day. And there was a certain 
beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, 
desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the 
rich man's table, and no man did give him. And it 
came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by 
angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also 
died, and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes 
when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and 
Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried^ and said : Father 
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he 
may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue, 
for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said 
to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good 
things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things; 
but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." 
(Luke xvi. 19-31.) 

What a folly it is thus to condemn one's self to end- 
less misery for the sake of a few momentary enjoyments. 
What doth it profit a man to have gained the whole 
world, when his soul is lost ? lost irrecoverably ! 

How from that of the rich man? How from that of Dives and 
Lazarus ? 



30- NECESSITY OF WORSHIPPING GOD. 

II. What mtist you do to save your soul? — I must worship God 
by faith, hope and charity; that is, I must beheve in him, hope in 
him, and love him with my whole heart. 

Faith, Hope, and Charity are virtues that relate im- 
mediately to God. They are not acquired^ but infused; 
we should pray for them, and make Acts of them, be- 
cause they are necessary for salvation. It is by these 
virtues (which include every other) that we must worship 
God. 

How do we worship God by Faith ? 

When we believe all he has revealed, because he is the 
very truth, and believe it whether we comprehend it or 
not ; we then give him homage of our reason — we pay 
homage to his eternal truth. 

How do we worship God by Hope? 

When we serve him with full assurance of obtaining, 
etc., resting that assurance on the reflection that God is 
infinitely good^ merciful^ powerful and faithful; we then 
give him the homage of our confidence — we pay homage 
to his goodness, power and promises. This perfect con- 
fidence is a homage very pleasing to him. 

How do we worship God by Charity ? 

When we love him above all things, because he is 
infinitely deserving of our love; i. e., when we love him 
for his own sake, and, on this account, obey his will ; we 
then give him the homage of our heart, or affections — 
we pay homage to all his divine perfections, by which 
he is infinitely good in himself, and infinitely deserving 
of our love. This is the most pleasing homage we can 
pay him. 

III. To worship God, by exercising these three virtues ; 
or, in other words, to worship him by leading a truly 
virtuous hfe, is a sure means of becoming happy, not 
only in heaven, but eveh in this life. There can be no 
true happiness without peace and contentment of mind ; 
now, earthly enjoyments and sinful gratifications can 

What is the sure means of being happy? 



NECESSITY OF WORSHIPPING GOD. 31 

never produce this ; but they have a contrary effect : 
^< For the wicked are Hke a raging sea, which can never 
rest. . . . There is no peace for the wicked, saith the 
Lord God." (Is. Ivii. 20, 21.) 

It is in the service of God only, that true peace or con- 
tentment of heart can be found ; because this is the gift 
of God — a gift which he promises to his servants : " Peace 
I leave you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world 
giveth, do I give unto you." (John xiv. 27.) Here is 
promised a peace far superior to the false peace of the 
world — even " the peace of God, which surpasseth all 
understanding" — (Phil. iv. 7) — "a joy which no man 
shall take from you." (John xvi. 22.) This is that 
hundredfold which God gives to those who, for his sake, 
renounce earthly attachments. (Mark x. 29, 30.) 

What greater happiness can there be than the testi- 
mony of dL good conscience, " For our glory is this, the tes- 
timony of our conscience." (2 Cor. i. 12.) This is a 
source of the greatest comfort, and draws down every 
grace and blessing: " If our heart reprehend us not, we 
have confidence toward God; and whatever v/e shall 
ask, we shall receive of him." (i John iii. 21.) 

It is this confidence toward God that makes the vir- 
tuous man happy in life and happy in death : " The fear 
of the Lord shall delight the heart, and shall give joy 
and gladness, and length of days. With him that feareth 
the Lord it shall go well in the latter end ; and in the 
day of his death he shall be blessed." (Eccli. 1. 12, 13.) 

Enter, therefore, in good earnest, upon the practice of 
virtue; serve God diligently, and with a willing heart, 
and your reward will be very great, not only in heaven, 
but even in this life. 

Does the service of God give true peace ? Does a good con- 
science give happiness ? 



32 RULE OF FAITH. 

Instruction III. 
The Rule of Faith. 

What is Faith ? — It is to believe, without doubting, whatever 
God teaches. 

Why must you believe whatever God teaches? — Because God is 
the very truth, and cannot deceive nor be deceived. 

How are you to know what the things are which God teaches? — 
By the testimony of the CathoHc Church, which God has appointed 
to teach all nations all those things which he has revealed. 

Faith, as applied to revealed truths, is a complete 
certainty — "it is the evidence of things that appear not." 
Heb. xi. I.) To have Faith, therefore, is to be quite 
certain of the truths we profess; for, if there be any 
doubt or misgiving, it is not Faith^ but only, at most, a 
strong opinion. Divine Faith is distinguished from mere 
human belief by the authority on which it is grounded. 
That which makes Faith divine is this — believing revealed 
truths because God, who is truth itself, has declared them ; 
for what he has said must be true, whether we compre- 
hend it or not. 

But has God left us any certain means or rule whereby we can 
know with certainty what he has said or revealed ? 

He has : the catechism says we are to learn this from 
the Church — from that very Church which God has 
established and " appointed to teach all nations all those 
things which he has revealed." (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) 

As there is but " one Lord^' so there can be but " one 
faith'' — (Eph. iv. 5) — but one true Church; for Christ 
could not teach contradictory doctrines. Now, it is by 
the belief and practice of what he did teach that we are 
to be saved : " He that believeth and is baptized, shall 
be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned." 
(Mark xvi. 16.) Therefore, it is a matter of the greatest 
consequence to know those very doctrines which we are 

Does religious faith exclude doubt and opinion ? 



RULE OF FAITH. 33 

thus required to believe; and all can know them, because 
we have sufficient means of coming to the knowledge of 
them. 

Indeed, as Christ requires us all to believe, under pam 
of eterrial death, it follows that he must have given us the 
means of coming to a certain knowledge of the truth ; 
since it would be inconsistent to require belief etc., without 
giving the means of coming to a certain knowledge. . . . 
Therefore, by following the means which he has given 
(i. e., by following the appointed Rule of Faith) ^ we can 
come to know, with certainty, the true doctrines. 

The appointed Rule of Faith, to be sufficient to bring 
mankind to this certain knowledge, and, indeed, to be 
consistent with the wisdom and goodness of God, must 
be: I. Plain, or suited to the capacity of mankind 
generally. 2. Universal, ar containing all the truths 
revealed. 3. Certain, both in itself and in its applica- 
tion to us. No Rule of Faith can be the true one unless 
it has these three qualities. 

What, then, is the Rule appointed by Christ ? 

Protestants say : " // is the Bible only — the written 
WORD /^ the entire rule of all'"' Catholics say : '' Jt is 
the whole Word of God, both written and unwritten; 
and this as taught and explained by the Church : it is the 
teaching of the Church T 

' To know which is the true Rule, we must see which 
has the necessary qualities : 

I . The Protestant Rule of taking the Scripture alone, 
is not plain, nor suited to the capacity of mankind gen- 
erally. It is most unsuitedto those who cannot read; how 
many such were there, especially in the earlier ages? 
for there was no printing till more than 1,400 years after 
Christ. It is not suited to those who cari read, but have 
not judgment to understand, etc. . . . And how many 
are there who can not understand the sense of the 

Is a Rule of Faith, or the means of coming to a certain knowledge 
of truth, necessary ? What must be its qualities ? What is the Prot- 
estant Rule? What is the Catholic Rule? Is the Protestant Rule 
plain ? 

3 



34 RULE OF FAITH, 

Scriptures ? That the number of such is vastly great, is 
evident from plain fact ; for we see that those who have 
not the Catholic Church to guide them, disagree, etc. 
The Scripture itself says, it is " hard to be understood," 
and " wrested by the unlearned and unstable to their 
own destruction." (Pet. iii. 15.) Therefore the Protest- 
ant Rule is not plain ; but it is a most difficult and dan- 
gerous Rule. 

On the other hand, nothing could be more plain, more 
easy and more suited to the capacity of mankind gener- 
ally than the Cathohc Rule. Those who cannot read 
can listen to instructions ; those who can read, but have 
not capacity to judge of the sense, can understand what 
they are to beheve, when it is expounded to them.' This 
Rule is in accordance with the words of Christ : ** Go 
and teach all nations ; . . . teachiiig them to observe all 
things, whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt, 
xxviii. 19.) 

2 . The Protestant Rule of taking the Scripture alone 
is not a universal Rule — it does not contain all revealed 
truths. For. first, it commands not the first, but the sev- 
enth day of the week, to be kept holy (Gen. ii. 2, 3; 
Exod. XX. 8 — 11); secondly, it forbids the eating of 
blood, etc. (Acts xv. 28, 29) ; thirdly, the authenticity, 
integrity, truth, and inspiration of Scripture, are the ver>' 
foundations of the Protestant Rule — the faith of the 
Protesta^nts rests entirely upon these facts ; and yet they 
cannot be learned from Scripture alone. Therefore, 
Scripture alone is not a universal Rule. 

The Catholic Rule, on the contrary, teaches the whole 
word of God. Christ taught his Apostles all the truths 
of his Religion ; they taught their disciples ; and thus 
the Religion of Christ has been handed down from gen- 
eration to generation, according to that commission 
which he gave to his Apostles, saying : ^' Go and teach 
all nations; . . . teaching them to observe all things, 

•Is the Catholic rule plain? Is the Protestant rule universal? 
Is the Catholic Rule universal ? 



RULE OF FAITH. 35 

whatsoever I have commanded you ; and behold I am 
with you all days, even to the end of the world." 
(Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) It is by this means alone that we 
can know the lawfulness of keeping the Sunday holy, 
instead of the Saturday; and of eating blood; the in- 
spiration of Scripture, etc. 

3. The Protestant Rule of taking the Scripture alone^ 
is not 2, certain Rule, The true sense is, as far as it goes; 
but, first, " the unlearned wrest it to their own destruc- 
tion *' (2 Pet. iii. 16); secondly, the most learned disa- 
gree about the sense of it; thirdly, even the same per- 
sons alter their opinions ; being " carried to and fro by 
every wind of doctrine" (Eph. iv. 14); fourthly, the 
whole Catholic Church is against their interpretation ! 
What security, then, can they have in their Rule ? For, 
in its application, it is attended with nothing but 
xiifficulty, uncertainty and doubt. 

But, on the other hand, the Rule of the Catholic 
Church is completely secure — it is perfectly certain: and 
it is in this certainty that the beauty and excellency of 
the Catholic Rule chiefly consists. That it is certain 
is clear: 

Firsts from the very nature of the Rule itself; not 
consisting in the private opinions of a few, etc., but in the 
authoritative decision of multitudes of every age and of 
every nation ; differmg, indeed, in all other things, but 
all agreeing in the Articles of their Faith. What but 
an overruling Providence, etc. . . . ? Among Protest- 
ants scarcely can two persons agree in their belief, which 
shows the uncertainty of their Rule. 

Secondly,, from the method observed in delivering the 
truths, etc., for the Pastors of the Catholic Church deliver 
the truths which they teach, not as their own private 
opinions, but as received from their forefathers. Thus, 
the Apostles taught what they had received from Christ; 
the second generation what they had received from the 
Apostles, and so on. Thus was handed down, and is still 

Is the Protestant Rule certain ? Is the Catholic Rule certain ? 
Prove it from the nature of the Rule. Prove it from the method. 



36 PROOFS OF INFALLIBILITY. 

handed down, " the faith once dehvered to the saints." 
(Jude 3.) 

Jhirdly^ and above all, from the sacred character of 
INFALLIBILITY promised (and therefore given) by Christ 
to his Church. For, if the Church is secured, by the 
express promises of Christ, from ever teaching anything 
but truths then the teaching of the Church is a certain 
and secure Rule of Faith. And the proofs that it is so 
secured I will bring forward and explain in the next 
instruction. 



Instruction IV. 

The Proofs of Infallibility, 

What is Faith ? — It is to believe, without doubting, whatever 
God teaches. 

Why 7nust you believe whatever God teaches? — Because God is 
the very truth, and cannot deceive, nor be deceived. 

Hoiv are you to know what the things are which God teaches? — By 
the testimony of the Catholic Church, which God has apppointed to 
teach all nations, all those things which he has revealed. 

In the last instruction I explained how there can be 
but one true Church — but one Faith ; how Christ has left 
sure means of coming to the certain knowledge of this 
one Faith ; how that means is the Rule of Faith which 
all must follow, and how this Rule must be plain, etc. I 
showed that these qualities belong, not to the Protestant, 
but to the Catholic Rule ; and that what especially ren- 
ders the Catholic Rule certaiii and secure^ is the sacred 
character of iNFALLiBiLiTY/r^;;//>^^ (and therefore ^'z^^;^) 
by Christ to his Church. I will now show you what 
those promises are : 

I. I will first quote a passage of the Old Testament, 
where God says : ^- There shall come a Redeemer to 
Sion. . . . This is my covenant with them, saith the 

Prove it from the character of Infallibility. Is Infallibility prom- 
ised in the Old Testament^ 



PROOFS OF INFAI^LIBILITY. 37 

Lord: my Spirit that is in thee, and my words that I 
have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth, 
nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth 
of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and 
forever." (Is. lix. 20, 21.) Here are promised two 
things: first, that the Spirit oi God (i. e., the Spirit of 
Truth) shall never depart from the Church; and, sec- 
ondly, that the Words of God (i. e., the words of Truth) 
shall never depart from the mouth (i. e., from the teachijig 
part) of the Church. And the promise of these two 
things is to continue in force through all future genera- 
tions, "from henceforth and forever, saith the Lord." 

2. When the " Redeemer did come to Sion " to estab- 
lish the Christian Rehgion, he confirmed and renewed 
the promise of these two things : " I will ask the Father 
and he shall give you another Paraclete^ that he may 
abide with you forever : the Spirit of Truths whom the 
world cannot receive .... but he shall abide with 
you, and shall be in you." . John xiv. 16, 17.) " But the 
Paraclete, the Floly Ghost, whom the Father w^ill send in 
my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things 
to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you." 
(John xiv. 26.) For, ''when he, the Spirit of Truth, 
IS come, he will teach you all truth.'' (John xvi. 13. 

Here is promised, in the first place, the perpetual 
PRESENCE of the Spirit of Truth. And this promise 
began to be accomplished on the day of Pentecost, when 
" they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began 
to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy 
Ghost gave them to speak." Acts ii. 4.) And here are 
promised also, in the second place, the words of truth, 
or \}i\^ perpetual teaching of the Spirit of Truth : '^ He 
will teach you ail things" — *' all truth." And this part 
of the promise began likewise to have its fulfilment at 
ePentecost : '' They began to speak . . . according as the 
Holy Ghost gave them to speak." Besides, Christ says 
to the Father : " The words which thou gavest to me, I 

Is it confirmed in the New Testament what is here promised? 
What is here promised in the first ])lace ? What in the second? 



38 PROOFS OF INFALLIBILITY. 

have given to them." (John xvii. 8.) The words of 
truth here given to the Apostles were evidently to remain 
in them, and in their successors, till the end of time ; for 
Christ commissions them to teach his truths to all nations, 
//// the end of the world ; promising, at the same time, 
that he himself will be perpetually with them in that 
teaching: "Go and teach all nations; . . . teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you : and behold 1 ain with you all days, even to the end 
of the worlds (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) 

3. Christ promises infallibility to his Church still more 
explicitly, in these words : " I say to thee, that thou art 
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my temple, and 
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 
xvi. 18.) The meaning of this promise is evident from 
another passage : " Every one that heareth these my 
words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man 
that built his house upon a rock ; and the rain fell and 
the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon 
that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. 
And every one that heareth these my words, and doth 
them not, shall be like a foolish man, that built his house 
upon the sand ; and the rain fell, and the floods came, 
and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and 
it fell r (Matt. vii. 24 to 27.) Therefore by building 
his Church upon a rock, Christ evidently meant building 
it so that it should never fall. And hence St. Paul gives 
the Church this glorious title : " The Church of the 
living God, which is the pillar and ground of the truth." 
(i Tim. iii. 15.) 

I have now explained the Rule of Faith ; and have 
proved that the teaching of the Cathohc Church has all 
those qualities which a Rule of Faith must necessarily 
have. And that it is the true and appointed rule which 
all must follow, is still further confirmed by Scripture : . 

I. The Apostles were commissioned to preach and 
teach; not to write. 

Were the Apostles commissioned to preach or to write ? Prore 
the nromise from the words addressed to Peter. 



PROOFS OF INFALLIBILITY. 39 

2. The world was converted, not by the distributing 
or the reading of the Bible ^ but by preachings as is related 
in Scripture, especially in the Acts of the Apostles. So 
likewise, in aftertimes, the Church has been continued 
and extended by teachi^ig^ as ecclesiastical history clearly 
shows. 

3. Scripture itself directs us to the teaching of the 
Pastors of the Church, and not to the learning of our 
faith from the Bible alone: " No prophecy of Scripture 
is of private interpretation." (2 Pet. i. 20.) " He that 
heareth you, heareth me." (Luke x. 16.) " If he will 
not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen 
and the publican." (Matt, xviii. 17.) " Remember your 
prelates, who have spoken the word of God to you; 
whose faith follow '^ (Heb. xiii. 7. 17.) 

4. The Pastors of the Church have been appointed 
and commissioned for the purpose of teaching, directing 
and guiding the people : " For the lips of the Priest shall 
keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his 
mouth ; because he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts." 
(Mai. ii. 7.) *^ And he gave some Apostles, and some 
Pastors, and some Doctors; for the perfecting of the 
Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of 
the body of Christ; until we all meet into the unity of 
faith ; . . that henceforth we be no more children tossed 
to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doc- 
trine." (Eph. iv. 11-14.) 

From all these clear and positive and repeated decla- 
rations of God, it is evident that the teaching of the Church 
is the true, appointed, and secure Rule of Faith, and is 
the one which Scripture points out to us. 

How was the world converted ? Does Scripture direct us to the 
teaching of the Church or the Bible alone ? For what were the 
Pastors appointed ? What do you conclude from this ? 



40 TRADITION. 

Instruction V. 
On Tradition. 

What is Faith ? — It is to believe, without doubting, whatever 
God teaches. « 

Why must you believe whatever God teaches? — Because God is 
the very truth, and cannot deceive nor be deceived. 

How are you to know what the things are which God teaches f — 
By the testimony of the CathoUc Church, which God has appointed 
to teach all nations all those things which he has revealed. 

In the last two Instructions I have explamed the Rule 
of Faith^ and shown that the teaching of the Church is 
the true Rule; i. e., the entire Word of God, as taught 
and explained by the Church, is the Rule of Faith 
appointed by Christ. 

The Word of God consists of all those truths which he 
has revealed to 7nan, whether written in Scripture or not. 
What the Apostles taught by writing, is Scripture ; what 
they taught without writing, is called Tradition, 

What, then, is Tradition ? 

Tradition is the handing down of revealed truths not 
contained^ or not clearly contained^ in Scripture, 

Do not the Scriptures, then, contain all that Christ taught? 

No. After his last supper, Christ said : " I have yet many 
things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. 
But when he the Spirit of Truth is come, he will teach 
you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, because 
he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you." 
(John xvi. 12-14.) Here we see that many things were 
to be taught by the Holy Ghost, after his coming on the 
day of Pentecost. It is related of Christ, that, after his 
resurrection, he taught many things concerning the king- 
dom of God, i. e., the kingdom of his Church : " To 
whom (i. e., to the Apostles) Christ showed himself 
alive, after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days 
appearing. to them, and speaking of the kingdom of 
God." (Acts i. 3.) Now, where is all this written? St. 

Of what does the Word of God consist ? Prove the existence 
of Tradition. 



TRADITION. 4 1 

John concludes his Gospel thus : " But there are also 
matiy other things which Jesus did, which, if they were 
all written, every one, the world itself, I think, would 
not be able to contain the books that should be written." 
(John xxi. 25.) Therefore, all is not written in Scrip- 
ture. Indeed, Protestants themselves believe many tra- 
ditionary doctrines ; as, for example, the lawfulness of 
keeping holy the vSunday instead of Saturday, of eating 
blood and things strangled, of infant baptism, the inspi- 
ration and canon of the Scriptures, etc. 

What is the principle of Tradition ? 

It is this: An invariable rule that every generation 
adhere firmly to the doctrines received from the preced- 
ing, and carefully commit the very same doctrines to the 
succeeding generation. The Apostles established this 
principle, and also efficacious means to preserve it. Thus 
they commanded the Pastors whom they ordained, and 
the faithful at large, to preserve and hand down the 
doctrines committed to them : " O Timothy, keep that 
which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane 
novelties of words." (i Tim. vi. 20.) " Hold the form 
of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith. . . 
Keep the good things committed to thy trust by the 
Holy Ghost who dwelleth in us." (2 Tim. i. 13, 14.) . . . 
*^ Continue thou in those things which thou hast learned, 
and. which have been committed to thee, knowing of 
whom thou hast learned them." (2 Tim. iii. 14.) What 
strict commands to preserve^ etc. ! 

He also commmands that the doctrines be handed down, 
and that means be taken for their being still further 
handed down to succeeding generations. "And the 
things which thou hast heard of fne by many witnesses, 
THE SAME commend to faithful men who shall be fit to 
teach others also." (2 Tim. ii. 2.) 

So far the Apostle's instructions lay an obligation upon 
Pastors of adhering to, and of handing dowii, the doc- 
Did the Apostles impose the duty of Tradition, or handing down 
of doctrine, to succeeding generations ? 



42 TRADITION. 

trines committed to them; but the same obligation of 
adhering to the doctrines deUvered he also lays upon 
the faithful at large: " Therefore, brethren, stand tast; 
and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether 
by word ox by our Epistle." (2 Thess. ii. 14. . St. Jude 
tells us, he wrote his Epistle purposely to enforce this 
duty on the faithful: *' I was under a necessity to write 
to you, to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith 
once delivered to the saints." (Jude 3.) 

Not content with these strict and positive commands, 
the Apostles were very earnest, moreover, in warning 
the faithful against all new doctrines and the teachers of 
them : " Be not led away with various and strange doc- 
trines." (Heb. xiii. 9.) *' Avoid the profane novelties of 
words." (i Tim. vi. 20.) "Now, I beseech you, breth- 
ren, to mark them who cause dissensions, . . contrary to 
the doctrines you have learned; and to avoid them.^^ 
(Rom. xvi. 17.) " A man that is a heretic, after the first 
and second admonition, avoid ; knowing that he, that is 
such a one, is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned 
by his own judgment." (Tit. iii. 10.) And St. Paul goes 
so far as " to pronounce anathema against any one, even 
an angel from heaven, who should attempt to teach any 
other Gospel, except that which he had taught." (Gal. i. 
8, 9.) The principle of Tradition could not be laid 
down more clearly, or more strongly, than in the texts 
which I have quoted. 

From these texts, then, it is evident that the rule of 
traditionary teaching was established by the Apostles, as 
a means of preserving and handing down the deposit of 
faith. 

But has the Church always adhered to this rule ? 

Yes; for, ist, Scripture, in the above texts, proves 
this fact, for the Apostolic age; 2d. The writings of the 
Fathers, and the Acts and Professions of Councils, for 
the succeeding ages ( See Wiseman's Lectures on the 
Doctrines and Practices of the Catholic Church, Vol. I, 

Did they forbid new doctrines and the teachers of them ? 



TRADITION. 43 

Led. 5,/. 1 ^o- 1 ^"j, Jirst edition) \ 3d, The Church uni- 
versally teaches and acts upon it, in the present age. 
No trace can be found of there ever having been any 
change on the point ; indeed, it is by this rule, by this 
Apostolic principle, that the Church has always con- 
demned new doctrines. 

But has the Church never altered or corrupted the Apostolic 
Traditions ? 

No ; for, first, the writings of the Fathers show that 
the Church has ahvays been the same as at the present 
time ; secondly, because the very principle of the Church 
has always been, and is now, never to alter, add to, or 
take from, the body of doctrines received; but always 
" to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the 
Saints" (Jude3); thirdly, because it is the universal 
character of the Catholic Church, that she has been 
always utterly averse to novelties; always solicitous in 
detecting, and firm in condemning, all new doctrines. 
Her enemies have, even made it a charge against her, 
that she cannot alter. " There is no hope or possibility 
of reforming her," they say, "because she ^^?^^^/ change ;" 
fourthly, because such vast multitudes and so many na- 
tions are concerned; fifthly, because she is secured by 
the promised assistance of Christ : " I am with you all 
days, even to the end of the world " (Matt, xxviii. 20) ; 
and also by the promised assistance of the Holy Spirit : 
" But the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my 
name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things 
to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you." 
(John xiv. 26.) 

Hence, when difficulties or disputes about doctrine 
arise, which call for the decision of the Church, she 
assembles her chief Pastors or Bishops in Council ; has 
recourse to revelation, both written and unwritten; and, 
having carefully and diligently examined, she then de- 
cides by virtue of her divinely-authorized commission : 
" Go ye and teach all nations," etc. (Matt, xxviii. 19, 

How does the Church act when disputes arise ? 



44 FIRST ARTICLE— I. 

20.) " The Holy Ghost hath appointed you Bishops to 
rule the Church of God." (Acts xx. 28.) Now, in this 
decision, by virtue of the express promises of Christ, the 
Chufch is divinely assisted. Thus, in the first Council 
held at Jerusalem, the Apostles began their decision in 
these words : " It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost 
and to us," etc. (Acts xv. 28.) Hence, how perfectly 
secure are Catholics in relying on the authoritative teach- 
ing of the Church ! Nothing can be more secure ; for 
God has pledged his word for it ; and though " heaven 
and earth may pass away," he declares that " his word 
shall not pass away." (Mark xiii. 31.) " God is not as 
man, that he should lie ; nor as the son of man, that he 
should be changed. Hath he said, then, and will he not 
do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfil?" (Matt, 
xxiii. 19.) 



EXPLANATION 

OF THE APOSTLES' CREED, 



Instruction VI. 

FIRST ARTICLE OF THE CREED. 

On the Apostles' Creed, and on the Attributes of God. 

What are the chief things which God teaches ? — They are con- 
tained in the Apostles' Creed. 

What is the first article of the Apostles^ Creed? — I beheve in 
God the Father Ahnighty, Creator of heaven and earth. 

What is God? — God is a Spirit ; the Creator and Sovereign Lord 
of all things. 

Why is he called Almighty? — Because he can do all things what- 
ever he pleases, and nothing is impossible or difficult to him. 

Why is he called Creator of heaven and earth? — Because he made 
heaven and earth, and all things out of nothing, by his only word. 

Had God any beginning? — No; he always was, is, and always 
will be. 

Where is God?— God is everywhere. 



FIRST ARIICLE— I. 45 

Does God know and see all things ? — Yes ; God does know and 
see all things. 

Has God any body ? — No ; God has no body ; he is a pure 
Spirit. 

I. The Apostles' Creed contains the leading Articles 
of Faith. It is divided into three principal parts, and is 
again subdivided into twelve articles. Before the 
Apostles separated to '^ go into the whole world and 
preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark xvi. 15), 
they composed this creed, that it might be some means 
of enabling all the faithful to think and speak the same 
things. Tertullian, in the second age, calls it: "A rule 
of faith descending from the tradition of the Apostles." 
It is shorty that every one may be able to learn it; and 
it is very co77iprehensive ; therefore we should say it with 
reflection. 

II. What is the first article of the Apostles^ Creed? — I believe in 
God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. 

By these words, '■'-I believe^' \^ mesmt (not / f /link — 
/ suppose — / am of opinion^ but) I hold for certain — with 
full conviction — without the least doubt or misgiving. 
And this certainty rests on a divine authority, viz., on 
the authority of God's word, as proposed to us by his 
Church ; it rests, therefore, on an infallible authority. 

What is God? — God is a spirit ; the Creator and Sovereign Lord 
of all things. 

What is a Spirit ? 

It is an active, intellectual, immaterial being. God is 
an infinitely perfect spirit. 

What is meant when we say : God is infinitely perfect ? 

We mean that God possesses in himself all perfections 
without limitation. 

Can you name some of God's Perfections or Attributes? 

Yes ; God is omnipresent — infinitely wise, holy, just 
and powerful : infinitely good, merciful and true ; in- 

How is the Creed divided? When and by whom composed? 
What is meant by the words " I believe? " 



46 FIRST ARTICLE—I. 

finitely amiable, incomprehensible, eternal and unchange- 
able. 

We should frequently think on these divine perfections; 
for such reflection will lead us to fear God ; and will 
thus be a check to vice ; it will also excite us to love and 
serve God ; and will thus be an inducement to virtue. 
Indeed, what greater check, etc., than to consider that, 

I . God is everywhere! He is always present, wherever 
we are : '/ For in him we live and move and be." (Acts xvii. 
28.) " Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I 
flee from thy face ? If I ascend into heaven, thou art 
there; if I descend into hell, thou art present." If I 
take my wings early in the morning and dwell in the 
uttermost parts of the sea, even there also shall thy hand 
lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Ps. cxxxviii. 
7-12.) 

Then does God knoiv and see all things ? — Yes ; God does know 
and see all things ; because, 

2.. God is infinitely wise. He knows the past, the 
present and the future, even our secret thoughts and in- 
tentions : ^' For the eyes of the Lord are far brighter 
than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of 
men, . . . and looking into the hearts of men, into the 
most hidden parts. For he beholdeth all things." 
(Eccli. xxiii. 28, 29.) " The works of all flesh are be- 
fore him, and there is nothing hidden from his eyes; he 
seeth from eternity to eternity." (Eccli. xxxix. 24, 25.) 
And as, 

3. God is infinitely holy, so he loves virtue wherever 
he sees it, and cannot endure iniquity : *' Thy eyes are 
too pure to behold evil." (Hab. i. 13.) "The way of 
the wicked is an abomination to the Lord." (Prov. xv. 
9-26.) With reason, therefore, does the Wise Man say : 
*'To God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful 
alike." (Wisd. xiv. 9.) 

Should we frequently think on the divine perfections ? Is God 
everywhere? Is God infinitely wise ? Infinitely holy ? 



FIRST ARTICLE—I. 47 

Not only does God see and hate our iniquities, but he 
will also pU7iish them, if we die in the guilt of them ; 
because, 

4. God is infi7titely just. He will execute strict and 
impartial justice upon all mankind without respect of 
persons. For " God will render to every man accord- 
ing to his works ; to them, indeed, who seek glory, and 
honor, and incorruption, eternal life; but to them who 
are contentious and who obey not the truth, but give 
credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation ; tribulation and 
anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, . . . 
but glory and honor and peace to every one that worketh 
good, ... for there is no respect of persons with God." 
(^Rom. ii. 5-11; I Cor. ii. 9.) 

God then knows all our ways ; his " eyes beliold both 
the good and the evil" (Prov. xv. 3 ); and he will deal 
with us according to strict justice. The rewards of vir- 
tue will be "exceedingly great," (Matt. v. 11, 12.) and 
the punishments of sin will be most terrible ; because, 

5. God is i?tfinitely Powerful: he is able to reward 
most abundantly, and to execute his vengeance with 
inconceivable severity: "All things are in his power^ 
and there is none that can resist his will." (Esther xiii. 
9.) " Out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two-edged 
sword, that with it he may strike the nations " (Apoc. 
xix. 15); for " He only is mighty — the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords." (i Tim. vi. 15.) 

Were we to consider these divine Attributes, were we 
to reflect seriously and frequently upon them, how afraid 
should we be of offending a God who is so terrible in his 
vengeance ! what a horror should we have of sin, and 
how careful should we be in avoiding it, if we thus con- 
sidered what " a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands 
of the living God ! " (Heb. x, 31.) 

Were these the only attributes of God we should have 
reason indeed to fear But besides these, which are of 
such a terrifying nature, there are others which are cal- 
ls God infinitely just ? Is He infinitely powerful? 



48 FIRST ARTICLE— II. 

culated to raise us to the highest degree of hope and 
confidence, and which we can never reflect upon with- 
out the greatest consolation. For God is infinitely good 
and merciful^ and true to his promises, etc. These 
i^ wherever man is concerned) are the dearest of his attri- 
butes : For "his tender mercies are above all his works." 
(Ps. cxliv. 9.) These I will explain in the next Instruc- 
tion. 



Instruction VII. 

FIRST ARTICLE — CONTINUED. 

The Attributes of God — Concluded. 

What is God? — God is a Spirit ; the Creator and Sovereign Lord 
of all things. 

Why is he called Almighty? — Because he can do all things what- 
ever he pleases, and nothing is impossible or- difficult to him. 

Why is he called Creator of heaven and earth ? — Because he made 
heaven and earth and all things out of nothing, by his only word. 

Had God any beginning? — No ; he always was, is, and always 
will be. 

Where is God ? — God is everywhere. 

Does God know and see all things ? — Yes ; God does know and 
see all things. 

Has God any body? — No ; God has no body ; he is a pure Spirit. 

In the last Instruction I explained -some of the Attri- 
uutes or Perfections of God — those which tend chiefly 
to excite our fears ; I showed that he is everywhere^ and 
sees and knows all things; that he is infifiitely holy, and 
hates iniquity — infinitely Just — and will punish it ; and 
that, being infinitely powerful, he can and will punish 
impenitent sinners with inconceivable severity. " Were 
these (I said) the only Attributes of God, we should 
have reason, indeed, to fear. But, besides these, which 
are of such a terrifying nature, tli^ere are others which 
are calculated to raise us to the highest degree of hope 
and confidence, and which we can never reflect upon 



FIRST ARTICLE— II. 49 

without the greatest consolation. For God is infinitely 
good, and merciful, and true; infinitely amiable^ incompre- 
hensible, eternal, and unchangeable. 

1. God is infinitely Good: His infinite goodness ap- 
pears in his great love for us : "I have loved thee with 
an evelasting love, taking pity on thee." (Jer. xxxi. 3.) 
" God so loved the world as to give his only begotten 
Son." (John iii. 16.) Happy in himself, in the posses- 
sion of his infinite Perfections, his goodness makes him 
desirous of communicating this happiness, etc. With 
this view, he created us ; with the same view, he is con- 
tinually heaping favors, etc. : " Thou openest thy hand, 
and fillest with blessing every living creature." (Ps. cxliv. 
16 ) " What is there (he says) that I ought to do more 
to my vineyard, that I have not done to it ? " (Is. v. 4.J 
And if we offend him, he is ready to pardon, because 

2. God is infinitely Merciful: " His tender mercies are 
above all his works." (He assures us, saying: " I desire 
not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn 
from his way and live. The wickedness of the wicked 
shall not hurt him, in what day soever he shall turn 
from his wickedness." (Zech. xxxiii. 11, 12.) For "the 
Lord is gracious and merciful, patient and plenteous in 
mercy." And "his mercy endureth forever." (Ps. cxliv. 
8; cv. I.) Even "when thou art angry, thou wilt 
remember mercy." (Hab. iii. 2.) For, " as a father hath 
compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compas- 
sion on them that fear him." (Ps. cii. 13.) 

How consoling are these reflections ! how cheering ! 
How they serve to inspire confidence, to raise our hopes ! 
And more especially when we go on to consider the 
immense promises of God in our favor, promises which 
are sure to be fulfilled on his part, because 

3. God is infinitely True: He is truth itself: " God is 
not as man, that he should lie. . . . Hath he then said, 
and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not 
fulfil?" (Numb, xxiii. 19.) Now, he has spoken great 

Is God infinitely good ? Is He infinitely merciful ? Is He infin- 
itely true? 

4 



50 FIRST ARTICLE— II. 

things in our favor : " He hath given us great and pre- 
cious promises" ^,2 Pet. i. 4); for, 

As to the present life, ist, In all our trials and tempta- 
tions, he promises m^ protection and victory: "God is 
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above 
what you are able," etc. (i Cor. x. 13); 2d, If we un- 
happily fall, he promises us mercy and pardon: "As I 
live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of the wicked, 
but that the wicked turn from his way and live." (Ezech. 
xxxiii. II.) "Take away the evil of your devices from 
my eyes; cease to do perversely, learn to do well. . . And 
then come and accuse me, saith the Lord : If your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow " (Is. 
i. 16-18; ; 3d, In our troubles and afflictions he promises 
us relief and consolation : " Come to me, all you that 
labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matt, 
xi. 28.) "To him that overcometh, I will give the 
hidden Manna" (Apoc. ii. 17); 4th, In all our wants, 
he promises to bestow upon us whatever is necessary^ if 
only we will serve him : " Seek ye first the kingdom of 
God and his justice, and all these thifigs shall be 
added unto you." " Ask, and it shall be given unto 
you." (Matt. vi. 2>Z'y ^ii. 7.) 

And as to the next life, he promises to reward his faith- 
ful servants with eternal happiness : " Amen, I say to 
you, there is no man, who has left house, or lands, or 
kindred, for my sake, and for the Gospel, who shall not 
receive a hundred times as much, now in this time ; and 
in the world to come, life everlasting." (Mark x. 29.) 
Consider also the great and precious, promises contained 
in the Eight Beatitudes. 

Now, as the Psalmist says : " God is faithful in all his 
words" (Ps. cxliv. 13); and he declares that, though 
" heaven and earth shall pass away, yet his word shall 
not pass away." (Mark xii. 31.) 

If, then, we love and serve him (and what powerful 

Has He spoken great things in our favor for the present life ? 
Has He for the next life ? 



FIRST ARTICLE— II. 51 

motives), our reward is certain; and it is no less a reward 
than God himself (Gen. xv. i); a God infinitely good, 
and amiable, incomprehensible, eternal and unchange- 
able. 

4. All that is amiable in creatures is but as a drop to 
an ocean when compared with the infinite Amiability of 
God. He is so lovely and enchanting that all the 
Blessed, in beholding him, are enraptured with delight ; 
to see God is their essential happiness. " Oh, how great 
is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou 
hast hidden for them that fear thee." (Ps. xxx. 20.) 
'* They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house; 
and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy 

pleasure; for with thee is the fountain of life." (Ps. xxxv. 
9.) The greatness of this happiness cannot be con- 
ceived, because 

5. God is Incomprehensible : " Behold, God is great, 
exceeding our knowledge." (Job xxxvi. 26.) " Glorify 
him as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed ; 
. . . exalt him as much as you can, for he is above all 
praise." (EccH. xliii. 32, 2)2i'^ With reason, then, does 
Christ encourage us in our trials and difficulties, by the 
prospect of this reward : " Be glad and rejoice, for your 
reward is very great in heaven." (Matt. v. 12.) And 
this reward will last forever, because 

6. God is Eternal and Unchangeable: He is the " High 
and the Eminent, who inhabiteth eternity, ^^ (Is. Ivii. 15.) 
" Behold, I live for ever and ever," " and I change not." 
(Apoc. i. 18; Mai. iii. 6.) 

Such is the God whom we are commanded to serve. 
These are some of his Attributes or Perfections. And 
can we have a more powerful incitement to virtue than 
to consider them attentively ? I entreat you, therefore, 
to make them frequently the subject of your serious 
reflections. For such reflections cannot fail to have a 
powerful influence, etc. 

Is God infinitely Amiable? Is God Incomprehensible? Is He 
Eternal and Unchangeable? 



52 FIRST ARTICLE— III. 

Instruction VIII. 

FIRST ARTICLE— CONTINUED. 

On the Work of Creation. 

What is the First Article of the Apostles'* Creed? — I believe in 
God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. 

What is God? — God is a Spirit ; the Creator and Sovereign Lord 
of all things. 

Why is he called Almighty? — -i^ecause he can do all things what- 
soever he pleases, and nothing is impossible or difficult to him. 

Why is he called Creator of heaven and earth? — Because he made 
heaven and earth and all things out of nothing, by his only word. 

The two last Instructions were on the divine Attri- 
butes or Perfections. It was there shown how an atten- 
tive consideration of them would influence us to " avoid 
evil and do good ; " how God's Justice, together with 
his Wisdom and Power, inspire a salutary fear; and how 
his Goodness and Mercy excite confidence and love. I 
have now to explain how he has exercised a72d manifested 
his Attributes in the great Work of Creation. 

In the next Instruction I shall have to explain how 
he still continues to exercise and manifest them in the 
watchful Providence^ by which he preserves, governs and 
directs all things for the good of his creatures, especially 
man. This will supply additional motives to love and 
serve him with gratitude and confidence. 

What means ** Creator .^" 

It means one who produces things out nothing. It is 
only God who can create. 

What is a creature ? 

It is that which is produced out of nothing. All 
beings except God are creatures. 

^' In the beginning God created heaven and earth." 
(Gen. i. i.) "All things were made by him." (John i. 
3.) He spoke., and they were made; he commanded, and 
they were created." (Ps. cxlviii. 5.) 

Why did God create? 

For his own greater honor and glory, and for the good 



FIRST ARTICLE— III. 53 

of his creatures : " The Lord hath made all things for 
himself." (Prov. xvi. 4.) 
Why did he employ six days ? 

Because such was his will. He could as easily have 
done it all at once^ if such had been his will. 

ist day of Creation. — On this day God created heaven 
and earth, and the Hght; and divided the Hght from 
darkness. 

2d day. — He made the firmament, and divided the 
waters that were under the firmament fi*om those that 
were above the firmament. 

3d day. — He collected the waters that were under the 
firmament, and caused the dry land to appear; and he 
made th. earth bring forth green herbs and fruit trees. 

4th da} . — He made lights in the firmament of heaven — 
a greater light to rule the day, and a less light to rule 
the night and the stars. And he set them in the firma- 
ment of heaven, to serve for signs, and for seasons, and 
for days and years. 

5th day. — He made the birds and fishes, and com- 
manded them to increase and multiply. 

6th day. — He made the animals and reptiles, and, 
lastly, man and woman ; and he commanded these also 
to increase and multiply. (Gen. i. 1-3 1.) 

It was in the course of these six davs that God created 
the Angels. (4th Council of Lateran.) The Scriptures 
do not say on which day the Angels were created, but 
they say: '''In six days the Lord made heaven and 
earth, and all things that are in them'' (Exod. xx. 11.) 

7th day. — God rested on the seventh day, and he 
blessed it and sanctified it. 

What are the principal creatures which God made, or those in 
which he has most displayed his Attributes, and over which he exer- 
cises a more especial Providence ? 

Angels and Men. (These are the principal, because 
endowed with reason, understanding, etc.) 

What did Almighty God on the first, second, third, fourth, fiftli, 
sixth, and seventh days ? 



54 FIRST ARTICLE— III. 

What do you mean by Angels? 

Pure spirits who surround God's throne j " his minis- 
ters who do his will." (Ps. cii. 21.) Their number is 
very great : " Thousands of thousands ministered to him, 
and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before 
him." (Dan. vii. 10.) 

They were created in a state oi grace and oi happiness, 
but yet in a state of trial. Lucifer, the brightest, and 
many others with him, fell by pride, were cast out of 
heaven, and changed into devils : " God spared not his 
angels that sinned." (2 Pet. ii. 4.) Those fallen angels 
tempt mankind: "Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring 
lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour; whom 
resist ye, strong in faith." (i Pet. v. 8, 9.) The greater 
part of the Angels persevered in grace ; these were im- 
mediately admitted to the beatific vision, and they were 
thereby secured in eternal happiness. They assist us, 
and pray for us; for " they are all ministering spirits, sent 
to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of 
salvation." (Heb. i. 14.) They are appointed to be our 
Guardians : " The Angel of the Lord shall encamp round 
about them that fear him, and shall deliver them." (Ps. 
xxxiii. 8.) 
What is man ? 

A being composed of a body and a soul ; endowed 
with reason, understanding, and free-will ; only " a little 
less than the Angels" (Ps. viii. 6; Heb. ii. 7); created 
to fill up the place of the fallen Angels in heaven. 

In making man, God formed his body of the earth, 
and created his soul out of nothing : "And the Lord God 
formed man of the slime of the earth, and he breathed 
into his face the breath of Hfe, and man became a living 
soul. . . . Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon 
Adam, and he took one of his ribs and he built it into a 
woman, and brought her to Adam." (Gen. ii. 7, 21, 22.) 

In what state were angels created ? What became of those that 
fell, and what are their relations to us ? What of those that perse- 
vered, and what are their relations to us ? Narrate the creation of 
man and woman. 



FIRST ARTICLE— III. 55 

Our first Parents were created (like the Angels) in a 
state of innocence, grace, and happiness, and also in a 
state of trial. " And the Lord God put man into the 
Paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it." (Gen. 
ii. 15 ) They were not subject to sickness or pains, and 
were never to have died, but they were to have remained 
in the Paradise of pleasure till they were translated to 
heaven. 

Did they continue in this happy state ? 

No ; they soon lost their innocence by transgressing 
the only precept which God had given them to try their 
obedience. For God had " commanded them, saying : 
Of every tree of Paradise thou shalt eat, but of the tree 
of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat, for in 
what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the 
death." (Gen. ii. 16, 17.) The devil tempted Eve. . . . 
"And the serpent said to the woman: Why hath God 
commanded you that you should not eat of every tree 
of Paradise ? And the woman answered him, saying : 
Of the fruit of the trees that are in Paradise we do eat, 
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of Para- 
dise, God hath commanded us that we should not eat, 
lest perhaps we die. And the serpent said to the woman : 
No ; you shall not die the death. For God doth know 
that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes 
shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good 
and evil. And the woman saw that the tree was good 
to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold, and 
she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave it to 
her husband, who did eat." (Gen. iii. 1-6.) 

They then lost their innocence and happiness ; their 
understanding was darkened ; their reason blinded ; their 
inclinations became prone to evil ; they were doomed to 
labor, pains, sickness and death. For God said to the 
woman : "I will multiply thy sorrows and thy concep- 
tions; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thou 
shalt be under thy husband's power." And to Adam he 

In what state were they created? Tell how they fell. What was 
tLve's sentence ? 



56 FIRST ARTICLE— IV. 

said : " Cursed is the earth in thy work. In the sweat 
of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread till thou return to 
the earth, out of which thou wast taken ; for dust thou 
art, and into dust thou shalt return." (Gen. iii. 16-19.) 
In consequence of Adam's fall we are all born in sin. 
If we had been left to ourselves, we must have been all 
lost forever, because incapable of making atonement for 
our guilt. But the infinite goodness and mercy of God 
promised a Redeemer. 



Instruction IX. 

FIRST ARTICLE— CONTINUED. 

On the Providence of God, 

What is God? — God is a Spirit ; the Creator and Sovereign Lord 
of all things. 

Why is he called Almighty ? — Because he can do all things what- 
soever he pleases, and nothing is impossible or difficult to him. 

Why is he called Creator of heaven and earth? — Because he made 
heaven and earth, and all things out of nothing, by his only word. 

I have shown how God has displayed his divine 
attributes, particularly his wisdom, power and goodness, 
in the great work of the Creation. I will now explain 
the Providence of God ; because it is a continued exer- 
cise of the same attributes for the preservation and good 
of his creatures, particularly man. For we cannot exist 
of ourselves, but we need God's continual preservation : 
'' He upholds all things by the word of his power." 
(Heb. i. 3.) 

What is meant by ^^the Providence of God? 

His eternal will, by which he preserves, governs and 
disposes all things. It consists chiefly in the exercise 
of three of his divine attributes, viz. : 

I. His wisdom, by which he knows all his creatures, 

What was Adam^s sentence? What was the consequence for 
them and us ? 



FIRST ARTICLE— IV. 57 

their ends (which are always some good), the means of 
obtaining those ends, and the impediments which would 
prevent the obtaining of them. 

2. His goodness^ which inclines him to forward those 
ends by furnishing the proper means for that purpose, 
and by removing the impediments or obstacles. 

3. His power ^ by which he can and does execute these 
beneficent designs in our favor, unless we prevent him 
by wickedness. The Scripture declares that " all things 
are in his power, and there is none that can resist his 
will" (Esther xiii. 9); that "in his hands are both we 
and our works" (Wisd. vii. 167, and that "his wisdom 
ordereth all things sweetly" (Wisd. viii. i); "Wherefore 
give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, and say not 
before the angel there is no providence^ lest God be 
angry at thy words and destroy all the works of thy 
hands." (Eccles. v. 5.) 

Can we disappoint God's providence ? 

No; because we can neither deceive his wisdom nor 
resist his power. " There is no wisdom, there is no pru- 
dence, there is no counsel against the Lord." (Prov. 
xxi. 30.) "All things are in his power, and there is none 
that can resist his will." (Esther xiii. 9.) 

Does any thing happen really by chance ? 

A thing is said to happen by chance when we see no 
cause why it should have happened, had no foresight that 
it would happen, nor any intention to cause it. Now, to 
us many things happen so ; but to God nothing : for his 
providence rules and directs all things. Sin he fore- 
sees, and he suffers it to be committed by us because he 
has given us free will. If we avoid it, he will reward 
us ; but if we commit it, he will punish us. 

Does Providence exert itself for our good ? 

Yes ; and hence the Scriptures admonish us, saying : 
" Cast all your care upon him, for he hath care of you." 

In the exercise of what three divine attributes does Providence 
consist ? 



58 FIRST ARTICLE— IV. 

(i Peter V. 7; Ps. liv. 23.) He exercises his goodness 
and providential care in three ways : 

1. In providing everything necessary for our good : "The 
eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord, and thou givest them 
meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand and fillest 
with blessing every living creature." (Ps. cxliv. 15, 16.) 
'' Behold the birds of the air; for they neither sow, nor 
do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly* 
Father feedeth them ; . . . how much more you, O ye 
of little faith ? Therefore be not solicitous, saying : 
What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith 
shall we be clothed ? For your heavenly Father knoweth 
that you have need of all these things. Seek ye there- 
fore first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all 
these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. vi. 26-33.) 

2. In preserving and delivering us from evils, and in 
turning to our good such temporal evils as he permits for 
our trial : " There shall no evil come to thee ; for he hath 
given his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all 
thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest 
thou dash thy foot against a stone." (Ps. xc. 10, 11, 12.) 
*^ The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I 
be afraid?" (Ps. xxvi. i.) Therefore, in all difficulties 
and temptations have recourse to him with confidence 
of deliverance or of support, 

3. In ruling and ordering all things for the good of 
his servants : " In all thy ways think on God, and he 
will direct thy steps." (Prov. iii. 6.) For "his wisdom 
ordereth all things sweetly." Hence, "to them that love 
God all things work together unto good." (Rom. viii. 28.) 

How is it, then, that there is so much sin and misery in the 
world ? 

As to sin^ God forbids it, gives us abundant help to 
avoid it, deters us from it by threats, and then leaves us 
to follow our free will ; he merely permits^ etc But as 
to human miseries — misfortunes, afflictions, persections — 
these God absolutely ordains for our good : " Good 

Which is the first way that God exercises his providential law ? 
Which the second ? Which the third ? 



FIRST ARTICLE— IV. 59 

things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are 
from God'' (Eccl. xi. 14.) Even when the affliction 
comes to us immediately from the wickedness of men, 
it is equally the will of God as far as regards our suffer- 
ing and our good. 

Example of Joseph.- — Joseph said to his brethren: 
" Not by your counsel was I sent Kither ; but by the 
will of God; " '^ you thought evil against me, but God 
turned it into good." (Gen. xlv. 8 ; 1. 20.) 

Example of Christ: — He was crucified by the wicked- 
ness of the Jews; yet he suffered it as being ordained 
by his heavenly Father : " Father, if it be possible, let 
this chalice pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, 
but as thou wilt." (Matt. xxvi. 39.) "Put»up thy sword 
into its scabbard; the cup which, my Father hath given 
me to drink, shall I not drink it ? " (John xvii. 11.) 

Therefore, consider men as merely executing, in your 
regard, what the providence of God ordains for your 
good; and receive it with patience, resignation, and even 
thanksgiving. " When men shall revile you and perse- 
cute you," etc., do not fret and show impatience, but 
"be glad and rejoice; because your reward is very great 
in heaven." (Matt. v. 12.) For it is God himself who 
sends the afflictions and '^^x'i^^Q^x\^on^ for your good. For, 

He sends them in order to bring you to a sense of 
your duty — to teach you penance, patience and resigna- 
tion ; to purify your affections and wean them from the 
world ; to .increase your merits, etc. It is for this reason 
that St. Paul says: "Whom the Lord loveth he chas- 
tiseth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." 
(Heb. xii. 6.) " For that which is at present momentary 
and light of our tribulation, w^orketh for us above measure, 
exceedingly, an eternal weight of glory." (2 Cor. iv, 17.) 
Receive your crosses, therefore, not only with patience 
and resignation, but also with thanksgiving, like holy Job, 

Give the example of Joseph. Give the example of Christ. How 
should we consider men and their acts in our regard ? What is the 
object of God in sending or permitting afflictions and persecutions ? 



60 FIRST ARTICLE— V. 

when he said: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done; 
blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job i. 21.) 

Think frequently on the providence of God — on the 
tender care and solicitude with which he provides for 
your welfare. Thank him for the blessings received, and 
pray for a continuance of them ; thank him even for his 
very chastisements as being the effects of his love ; throw 
yourselves on his providence, etc. 

What conclusion should we draw from this instruction ? 



Instruction X. 

FIRST ARTICLE CONCLUDED— SECOND ARTICLE. 

On the trinity, and the Incarnation. 

Hmv many Gods are there ? — There is but one God. 

Are there not more Persons than one in God? — Yes ; in God there 
are three Persons. 

Which are they P— God the Father, God the Son, and God the 
Holy Ghost. 

Are not these three Gods? — No; the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Ghost, are all but one and the same God. 

What is the Second Article of the Creed? — And in Jesus Christ 
his only Son, our Lord. 

Who is yesus Christ? — He is God the Son, made man for us. 

Is Jesus Christ truly God? — Yes; Jesus Christ is truly God. 

Why is Jesus Christ truly 6'(?^.''— Because he has the self-same 
divine nature with God the Father, being equal to him in all per- 
fections. 

Was Jesus Christ always God? — Yes, Jesus Christ was always 
God : born of the Father from all eternity. 

Which Person of the Blessed Trinity is Jesus Christ? — He is the 
Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. 

Is Jesus Christ truly man ? — Yes ; Jesus Christ is truly man. 

Why is Jesus Christ truly man ? — Because he has the nature of 
man, having a body and a soul like ours. 

Was Jesus Christ ahvays man ? — No ; he has been man only 
from the time of his Incarnation. 



FIRST ARTICLE— V. 61 

What do you mean by his Incarnation ? — I mean his assuming 
human nature, when he was conceived and made man in the womb 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

How many natures, then, are there in yesus Christ ? — There are 
two natures in Jesus Christ — the nature of God and the nature of 
man. 

Hoiff many Persons a7'e there in Jesus Christ! — In Jesus Christ 
there is only one Person, which is the Person of God the Son. 

Why was God the Son made ma7i f — To save us from sin and hell. 

The power, wisdom and goodness of God, as displayed 
in his works, give an exalted idea of his infinite great- 
ness : For " the heavens show forth the glory of God " 
(Ps. xviii. 2), and "his work is praise and magnificence." 
(Ps. ex. 8 .) 

But his infinite perfections, considered in themselves, 
give a more exalted and more sublime idea of the great- 
ness of his infinite Majesty! It is in the y^xy possession 
of these attributes that his greatness essentially consists : 
" For the Almighty himself is above all his works." 
(Eccli. xliii. 30.) In each attribute he is infinite and in- 
comprehensible ; but in none more so than in his mys- 
terious and incomprehensible mode of existence^ which I 
will now explain : God exists 07ie in essence, three in 
PERSONS : this is a mystery, expressed by the " Jjnity and 
Trinity of God." And God the Son exists in one divine 
PERSON with two NATURES, the same person (viz., the 
Person of God the Son) being both God and man. This 
mystery was accomplished by what is called the ^'Incar- 
fiation of the Son of God," and is the greatest display of 
his love for man. These are the two greatest and most 
important truths in religion. 

I. What is meant by the Unity of God? 

That the divine nature or substance, or the Divinity, 
is but one. Reason teaches that there cannot be more 
than one divine nature; Revelation also teaches it: 
"• Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord." 
(Deut. V. 4.) 

Do the Infinite perfections of God, considered in themselves, give 
an exalted idea of Him ? Tell something of the mysterious mode 
of his existence. 



62 FIRST ARTICLE— V. 

What is meant by the Trinity of God ? 

That in the one divine nature there are three Persons. 
This truth may be shown from the Old Testament : 
^''God said: Let us make man to our own image." 
**Godsaid: Lo Adam is become as (?;/<f^^i"." (Gen. i. 26; 
iii. 21, 22.) ^^By the Word of the Z^r^ the heavens 
were estabhshed, and all the powers of them by the 
Spirit of his mouth." (Ps. xxxii. 6.) It is proved much 
more clearly from the .New Testament : " / will ask the 
Father^ and he will give you another Comforter, the Spirit 
of TruthP (John xiv. 16.) "Go and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father^ and of the Son^ 
and of the Holy Ghost.'' (Matt, xxviii. 19.) " There are 
THREE who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the 
Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." 
(i John v. 7.) 

Are the three Persons in God really distinct Persons ? 

Yes; for in the text: "7 will ask the Father, and he 
will give you another Comforter ^^ etc., he who asks is a 
person really distinct from him to whom the request is 
made, and he who is asked for is distinct from both. 
Each of the three persons has certain personal proper- 
ties which cannot be attributed to the others. Thus the 
Father is the first person, and proceeds from no one; 
this cannot be said of the Son, nor of the Holy Ghost; 
the Son is the second person, is begotten, and has 
assumed our human nature. This cannot be said of the 
Father, nor of the Holy Ghost; th^ Holy Ghost is the 
third person, and proceeds from the Father and the Son ; 
this cannot be said of the first and second persons. 

Is each Person God ? and equal God ? 

Yes : " To us there is but one God, the Father, of 
whom are all things." (i Cor. viii. 6.) " In the beginning 
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the 
Word was Godr (John i. i.) "Why hath Satan 
tempted thy heart, that thou shouldst lie to the Holy 
Ghost? . . . Thou hast not lied to men, but to God'' 
(Acts V. 4.) " And these three are 07ie," (i John v. 7.) 

How is the Trinity shown from the Old Testament ? How from 
the New ? 



SECOND ARTICLE— I. 68 

Can we comprehend this mystery? 

No ; God alone can comprehend himself, because he is 
infinite, we finite. The mystery of the Trinity has been 
revealed, and therefore we must believe it \ we should rest 
satisfied with our measure of knowledge, for " he that is 
a searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory." 
(Prov. XXV, 27.) 

II. The Second Article of the Creed, 

The Second Article teaches that the Word, or Second 
Person of the Trinity, besides being " God, having 
the self-same nature with God the Father," is also " Man, 
having a body and soul like ours." For, 

Who is Jesus Christ? — He is God the Son made Man for us. 

Is he then truly God? 

Yes ; St. Paul says that Jesus Christ " is over all things, 
God blessed forever." (Rom. ix. 5.) " The Word was 
Godr (John i. i.) "/am the Alpha and Omega, the 
beginning and the end, saith the Lord God who is, and 
who was, and who is to come the Almighty. ... I am 
the first and the last, and alive, and was dead ; and be- 
hold I am living forever and ever, and have the keys of 
death and of hell." (Apoc. i. 8, compared with verses 

\See also Rom. xiv. 11, and Philip, ii. 10, compared 
with Is. xlv. 21-25 y ^^^^ Heb. i. 5, 6, 8, 9, compared with 
Ps. xliv. 7, 8; also Heb. i. 6, compared with Ps. xcvi. 7.} 

Is Jesus Christ also truly Man, as well as God? 

Yes ; because God the Son assumed our human nature 
and united it to his divine nature, so as to form but one 
person ; this is what is meant by his Incarnation. Thus, 
St. Paul says, that Jesus Christ " being in the form of 
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but 
emptied himself, taking the for7n of a servant, being 
made in the likeness of men." (Philip, ii. 6, 7.) " In the 
beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. . . . 

What does the Second Article teach ? 



64 SECOND ARTICLE— I. 

And the Word was made flesh." (John i. i, 14.) There- 
fore, he is both God and man. 

Are there, then, two natures in Jesus Christ? 

Yes ; but the nature of God and the nature of man 
are so united as to form but o?ie Person, " As soul and 
body is one man, so God and man is one Christ." (Atha- 
nasian Creed.) 

"/ and the Father are one." (John x. 30.) Again, 
"The Father is greater than /." (John xiv. 28.) Here 
the same person, "/," speaks of himself both as God 
and as man. 

Has he always been both God and Man? 

No ; before his Incarnation the Son of God existed in 
the nature of God only ; from that time he exists in two 
natures, the same Person being both God and man. 

Will he now always exist in two natures ? 

Yes; I St, because he is called a ^'Priest forever " (Heb. 
V. 6); 2d, because St. Paul says, "Jesus Christ yester- 
day and to-day, he is the same forever T (Heb. xiii. 8.) 

Why was God the Son made man ? — To save us from sin and 
hell. 

In order to save us, it was necessary he should be 
able to suffer; as God, he could not, hence he became 
man, and as such he was subject to human sufferings — 
hunger, fatigue, grief, temptations, pain, death — to all 
our infirmities except our sins, and these he undertook 
to cancel. What an excess of love ! How we should 
thank him for it ! how it should encourage us to have 
recourse to him, under all difficulties and temptations, 
with an entire confidence ! " For we have not a High 
Priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, 
but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. 
Let us go, therefore, with confidence to the throne of 
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in sea- 
sonable aid." (Heb. iv. 15, 16.) 

To what did God the Son subject himself in becoming man? 
Should we, therefore, have recourse to him with confidence ? 



SECOND ARTICLE— II. 65 

Instruction XI. 

SECOND ARTICLE— CONCLUDED. 

A short history of Religion, from the first Promise of a 
Redeemer to its Fulfilment, 

Who is Jesus Christ ? — He is God the Son, made man for us. 
Why was God the Son made man ? — To save us from sin and 
hell. 

Man was created in innocence, and for heaven. He 
fell by sin, and so lost both. Being unable of himself 
to make atonement, he had nothing before but the sad 
prospect of misery, both here and hereafter. Upon his 
repentance, God took compassion on him and promised 
him a Redeemer, but this promise was not fulfilled till 
after 4000 years, yet, in the meantime, it was frequently 
renewed. This promise raised, and its renewal, kept up 
in the ancient people a most longing desire for the com- 
ing of their Redeemer, and formed a great part of their 
religion. " Amen, I say to you, that many prophets and 
just men have desired to see the things that you see, 
and have not seen them." (Matt. xiii. 17.) "Abraham, 
your Father, rejoiced that he might see my day; he saw 
it and was glad." (John viii. 56.) 

I. will now run through a short History of Religion, 
from the first promise of a Redeemer to its fulfilment. 

This promise was first made when God said: '^ I will 
put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed 
and HER seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou 
shall lie in wait for her heel^ (Gen. iii. 15.) Thus, the 
Redeemer was to be born of her posterity. 

Adam and Eve transgressed the divine command, and 
were driven out of Paradise. Their first children were 
<^ain and Abel ; Cain killed his brother Abel through 
envy ; Seth was born in the place of Abel ; Seth and 
his race were good; Cain and his race were bad; hence 
we see the consequences of the good or bad example of 

What did man lose by sin ? Did God have compassion on man ? 
Recite the first promise. Give a history of Religion from Adam to 
Noe and the Deluge. 

5 



66 SECOND ARTICLE—II. 

parents. The descendants of Seth intermarried with 
those of Cain, and thereby became corrupted. And 
" God seeing that the wickedness of men was great upon 
the earth, said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, 
from the face of the earth, ... for it repenteth me that I 
have made them. But Noe found grace before the 
Lord." (Gen. vi, 5, 7, 8.) This threat of the Almighty 
was executed by a universal deluge, but Noe and his 
family were saved in the Ark, which God had com- 
manded him to make. [Anno Mundi^ 1656.] 

After the Deluge, " God blessed Noe and his sons," 
viz. : Shem, Cham, and Japhet; " and he said to them : 
Increase and multiply, and fill the earth." (Gen. ix. i.) 
Cham brought a curse upon himself by an act of dis- 
respect toward his father, and this curse descended to his 
posterity. The descendants of Noe, having multiplied 
after the flood, began to build the tower of Babel, etc. ; 
but God confounded their language. Men soon became 
wicked as before, and the knowledge of the true God 
was almost lost. 

To preserve at least some knowledge of himself, God 
called Abraham^ of the race of Shem. {Anno Miindi^ 
2008.) And the promise of a Redeemer was renewed 
to him : ''In thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be 
blessed^ (Gen. xxii. 18.) God conducted him into the 
land of Canaan, which was then inhabited by the wicked 
race of Cham, but which was now promised to Abra- 
ham, for it was to be taken from them in consequence 
of their crimes, but this promise was not fulfilled till 
after 400 years. 

God made a covenant with Abraham, and ordained 
circumcision to be a sign to that covenant. When 
Abraham and Sarah were almost a hundred years old, 
Isaac was promised them ; and when Isaac was grown 
up, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice him. (Gen. 
xxii. I, etc.) 

From the Deluge to the building of the tower of Babel ? Why 
did God call Abraham, and what promise did he make him ? 
What was the sign of the covenant with Abraham ? 



SECOND ARTICLE— II. 67 

The promise of a Redeemer was renewed to Isaac : 
''1 will be with thee^ and I will bless thee; . . . a7id in 
thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed'' (Gen. 
xxvi. 3, 4.) Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau, 
the first-born, sold his birthright, and so lost his Father's 
blessing, which was conferred upon Jacob. 
. Jacob had twelve sons — the twelve Patriarchs. Before 
the birth of Benjamin, Joseph, who was the eleventh, 
received marks of his Father's particular affection. For 
this his brothers envied him; sold him to the Ishmaelites; 
they to Potiphar, in Egypt, an officer of Pharaoh; Joseph 
was favored by his master; tempted by his mistress; 
cast unjustly into prison, etc. ; made ruler of Egypt, in 
consequence of having foretold the seven years' famine. 
The brethren of Joseph go from the land of Canaan to 
buy corn in Egypt; Joseph makes himself known to 
them, and sends for his father, Jacob, who, with his 
whole family, goes to dwell in Egypt. The Hebrews (i. 
e., the family of Jacob) multiply exceedingly and pros- 
per, but are oppressed after Joseph's death. 

Moses, of the tribe of Levi, was born in the year of 
the World 2433, and before Christ, 1571. At "the 
Mountain of God, Horeb," in the land of Madian, '' God 
appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a 
bush, and he saw that the bus?i was on fire and was not 
burnt." (Exod. iii. 2.) 

God sent him to Pharaoh, to deliver the Hebrews from 
slavery. Pharaoh would not release the people, for 
which God afflicted Egypt with ten plagues, viz.: i, he 
turned the waters into blood; 2, sent frogs; 3, gnats; 
4, flies; 5, death of cattle; 6, ulcers in men and beasts; 
7, hail and fire; 8, locusts; 9, darkness; 10, death of 
the first born. (Exod. from chap, vii to xii.) By these 
plagues, Pharaoh was compelled to let the people go, and 
they departed out of Egypt with 600,000 fighting men. 

What was the promise made to Isaac ? Whose son was Jacob ? 
Whose birthright did he purchase ? Give the history of his family. 
When was Moses born? Narrate his history. 



68 SECOND ARTICLE— II. 

The Red Sea dividing, they passed through on dry land. 
They sojourned forty years in the Desert, during which 
period they received the Ten Commandments, adored 
the golden calf, were fed with manna from heaven, fre- 
quently rebelled against God, and were punished for 
their rebellion. By divine appointment, Aaron was 
made high priest, and the priesthood was to descend in 
his family. Contrary to this appointment. Core, Dathan, 
and Abiron assumed the office of the priesthood; for 
this crime both they and all those that attended their 
schismatical worship were swallowed down alive into 
hell by the earth opening beneath their feet. All the 
Jewish sacrifices, ceremonies, festivals, etc., were figura- 
tive, having a reference to the promised Redeemer : 
" For there is no other name under heaven given to men 
whereby we must be saved." (Acts iv. 12.) Moses and 
Aaron both died without entering the promised land. 
Of all that left Egypt, only two (Josua and Caleb) en- 
tered it. 

Josua succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel. Under 
him the Israelites settled in the Land of Promise, after 
having conquered their way. After Josua, the people 
were governed by Judges, of whom there were fourteen 
during about 300 years. During this period they were 
frequently taken captive, in punishment of their sins, 
and, on their repentance, were delivered. Rejecting the 
government of Judges, the people will have a king, and 
God, condescending to their wish, directs Samuel, the 
last of the Judges, to give them a king. 

Their first king was Saul, chosen for them by God 
himself, but he was afterwards rejected for his conduct, 
and God directed Samuel to anoint David in his place. 

David, being anointed king, slew Goliath, the cham- 
pion of the Philistines, in single combat; having fallen 
into the two grievous crimes of adultery and murder, he 
was brought to sincere repentance by the admonition of 

Who was made High Priest ? Who usurped the priesthood, and 
what happened to them ? Who succeeded Moses? After Josua, 
by whom were the people governed ? Who was the first king of 
Israel ? 



SECOND ARTICLE— II. 69 

the Prophet Nathan (2 Kings xii. 1-15); when David 
had sinned again, by numbering the people, through 
vanity, God punished him severely, but offered him his 
choice of three chastisements, viz.: either three years* 
famine, or to be vanquished in war during three months, 
or to have the sword of the Lord and pestilence in the 
land during three days. " And David said : It is better 
for me to fall into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies 
are many), than into the hands of men. So the Lord 
sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel 
70,000 men." (i Paral. xxi. 11-17.^ David composed a 
number of Psalms, which breathe a spirit of devotion 
and penance, and in which he foretells Christ and his 
Passion. The promise of the Redeemer was renewed 
to him : ''God hath sworn to him with an oath that of the 
fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne J^ (Acts ii. 
30 ; Ps. cxxxi. II.) 

Solomon, his son, who succeeded him, was the wisest 
of men, and his reign was happy and prosperous. He 
built the temple of Jerusalem, 1004 years before Christ. 
Toward the end of his life, Solomon fell from God by 
an inordinate love of women, and even became an idol- 
ater. In punishment of these crimes, God divided the 
kingdom after Solomon's death. For Roboam, his son, 
retained only the tribes of Juda and Benjamin, with that 
of Levi, and Jeroboam, his servant, was made king of 
the other ten tribes. 

Elias began to prophesy in the reign of the wicked 
king Achab, and was taken up into the heavens alive, 
about 895 years before Christ. After this, there were 
more than 400 years of Prophets, during which Salma- 
nasar, king of Assyria, took the ten tribes ( which formed 
the kingdom of Israel) captive to Nineve. [a. c. 721.] 
More than 100 years after this event, Nabuchodonozor, 
king of Babylon, took the Jews also (i. e., those who 

Give the history of David. What did he compose ? Give the 
history of Solomon. Why was Israel divided ? When did Elias 
begin to prophesy? What became of him? How long did the 
prophetic period last ? When did the Assyrian captivity take place ? 



70 SECOND ARTICLE— II. 

formed the kingdom of Juda) captive to Babylon, and 
destroyed the city and temple of Jerusalem. The Jews 
remained in the Babylonish captivity seventy years, 
during which period Daniel foretold the time of Christ's 
coming, saying: " That from the going forth of the word 
to build up y^erusalem again, unto Christ the Prince, there 
shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; and after sixty- 
two weeks, Christ shall be slainP (Dan. ix. 25, 26.) By 
each week in this prophecy is meant seven years. Cyrus, 
king of Persia (w^ho had been foretold by Isaias 200 
years before his birth), delivered the Jews from their 
captivity, 536 years before Christ. Soon after this (in 
the time of Malachi,* the last of the Prophets) the temple 
of Jerusalem was rebuilt, and also the walls and the 
city, and the Jews lived in peace 300 years, at the end 
of which period a terrible persecution was raised against 
them. 

For Antiochus Epiphanus, king of Syria, " went up 
against Israel, and he went up to Jerusalem with a great 
multitude, and he proudly entered into the Sanctuary 
and he took away the golden altar; . . . and he took 
the silver and gold, and the precious vessels, and the 
hidden treasures which he found; . . . and he made a 
great slaughter of men, and spoke very proudly. And 
there was great mourning in Israel." (i Mac. i. 21, etc.) 
For Antiochus took Jerusalem, plundered and profaned 
the temple, forbade the exercise of the Jewish Religion, 
introduced idolatry in its place, and persecuted the peo- 
ple most furiously, putting all recusants to death. Dur- 
ing these persecutions of Antiochus, the Jews gave 
glorious examples of fidelity to the law of God. Eleazar, 
at the age of ninety, suffered death rather than eat 
swine's flesh, and seven brothers (called the seven Mach- 
abees), with their mother, endured the most excruciating 
deaths for the same cause. (2 Mac. vi and vii.) The 

How long did the Babylonian captivity last ? Recite the prophecy 
of Daniel in regard to the coming of Christ. Who was the last 
prophet? By whom was Jerusalem sacked and the temple pro^ 
faned ? Who were the Martvrs at this time ? 



THIRD ARTICLE. 71 

Jews at length recovered Jerusalem and restored the 
exercise of their Religion, and they enjoyed peace till 
Jerusalem was again taken by the Romans under Pom- 
pey, A. c. 69; and 32 years afterward, Herod was de- 
clared by them king of Judea. 

The world now enjoyed universal peace ^ but was buried 
in idolatry, crimes, and the grossest ignorance of Relig- 
ion, and it was in this state of things that Christ was 
BORN. He came both to Redeem and to Teach : for he 
came "to save his people from their sins" (Matt. i. 21), 
and also " to enlighten them that sit in darkness and in 
the shadow of death; to direct our feet in the way of 
peace." (Luke i. 79.) 



Instruction XIL 

THIRD ARTICLE. 

The Birth of Christy and his Life^ to the Commencement 

of his Passion, 

What is th€ Third Article of the Creed '^ — Who was conceived by 
the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. 

How was Christ made man ? — He was conceived and made man 
by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, 
without having any man for his father. 

Where was our Savior born 9 — In a stable at Bethlehem. 

Upon what day was he bo?n ? — Upon Christmas day. 

The First Article of the Creed has been explained by 
Instructions on what has been revealed concerning the 
nature of Almighty God; on the greatness of his divine 
Attributes, 'which constitute his infinite Perfection, and 
render him infinitely amiable and deserving of our love 
and service; on the manifestation of these attributes in 
-the great work of the creation, particularly in the creation 

In what year did the Romans take Jerusalem ? In what state 
was the world when Christ was born ? 



72 THIRD ARTICLE. 

of man; and on the infinite love by which God promised 
a Redeemer to man after his fall. 

The Secofid Article also has been explained by In- 
structions, showing who this promised Redeemer is ; that 
is to say, on God the Son, who assumed the nature of 
man to save us from sin and hell. 

We come now to the Third Article ^ which contains the 
Fulfilment ol that promise in the birth of Christ. 

What is the Third Article of the Creeds — Who was conceived by 
the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. 

Hcnv was Chrift made man ? — He was conceived and made man 
by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, 
without having any man for his father. 

Is, then, the Blessed Virgin the Mother of God? 

Yes ; for it cannot be denied that she who brings forth 
a person is truly his mother, although she does not pro- 
duce his soul; and, therefore, in bringing forth Jesus 
Christ, who is the Person of God the Son^ the Blessed 
Virgin is truly his mother, although she did not produce 
his divinity; i. e., she is truly the Mother of Him who 
is the Person of God the Son : " The Holy One, who 
shall be born of thce^ shall be called the Son of God. . . . 
Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord 
should come to me? " (Luke i. 35, 43.) 

I will now give a short account of the Birth of Christ ; 
and also of his Life up to the commencement of his 
Passion, as contained in the Gospel. 

I. The Prophet Isaias had long foretold that Christ- 
should be born of a Virgin; " Behold a Virgin shall con- 
ceive and bear a Son, and his name shall be called 
Emmanuel " (Is. vii. 14), " which, being interpreted, is 
God with us.'' (Matt. i. 28.) 

St. Luke describes the manner in which this prophecy 
was accomplished : " The Angel Gabriel was sent from 
God into a city of Galilee called Nazaretfi to a Virgin 
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house 
of David, and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the 

Recite the prophecy of Isaias about the birth of Christ. How 
does St. Luke describe its accomphshment ? 



THIRD ARTICLE. i6 

Angel being come in, said unto her : Hail, full of grace, 
the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 
Who, having heard, was troubled at his saying, and 
thought with herself what manner of salutation 'this 
should be. And the Angel said to her : Fear not, Mary, 
for thou hast found grace with God ; behold thou shalt 
conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a Son, and 
thou shalt call his name Jesus ; he shall be great, and 
shall be called the Son of the Most High ; and the Lord 
God shall give unto him the throne of David his father, 
and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of 
his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to 
the Angel : How shall this be done, because I know not 
man? And the Angel, answering, said to her: The 
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the 
Most High shall overshadow thee ; and therefore also 
the Holy One which shall be born of thee shall be 
called the Son of God. . . . And Mary said : Behold the 
handmaid of the Lord ; be it done to me according to 
thy word. And the Angel departed from her." (Lukei. 
26-38.) 

So far the Evangelist relates how the mystery of the 
Incarnation was accomplished. 

[immaculate conception. 

Was Mary the Mother of Jesus conceived without sin? 

Yes; it is a revealed and defined truth that the soul 
of the Mother of Jesus was, by special privilege of 
Almighty God, on account of the merits of Christ her 
Soil, preserved from the stain of original sin in the first 
instant of her existence. 

Was there ever another human soul free from sin in the first mo- 
ment of its existence ? 

Yes ; the ifuman soul assumed by the Son of God was 
necessarily free from sin. A divine person is essentially 
immaculate. 

The soul of Adam and the soul of Eve were also im- 
maculate in the first period of their existence. They^ 



74 THIRD ARTICLE. 

were endowed by God with natural and supernatural 
gifts. They possessed in the beginning beauty, knowl- 
edge, virtue and godliness not due to human nature, but 
gratuitously and supernaturally given by God. Had we 
been born before their fall, they would have transmitted 
their happy state to us. As, however, we were born 
after their fall, they could only transmit to us what re- 
mained — a sin-stained nature. 

Mention some of the evidences in favor of this privilege of the 
Mother of Jesus Christ. 

1. The inspired and written word : " I will put 
enmities between thee (the demon author of original sin) 
and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. She 
shall crush thy head." (Gen. iii. 15.) "Thou art all 
fair, O my love, and there is no spot in thee." (Cant, 
iv. 7.) " Hail full of grace ! Blessed art thou among 
women. Thou hast found grace with God." (Lukei. 28.) 

Mary is here declared to have found favor with God; to 
be blessed above all women ; full of grace ; without stam; 
to be the divinely appointed enemy and crusher of the 
demon of original sin. She must, therefore, be immaculate 
and not subjected to the stain of sin. 

2. The burden of ecclesiastical tradition flows in 
the same direction. Its voice is happily formulated by 
St. Augustine : " When sin is //^ question Mary is ouf of 
question." 

3. The whole life and action of the Church, whenever 
it had to deal with the question, is conclusive evidence 
of this doctrine. I will only cite its last utterance on 
this subject. In 1849 Pope Pius IX. consulted all the 
Catholic bishops of the whole world to know the faith 
of their respective Churches, and in 1854, on receipt of 
their harmonious response, he formulated the Catholic 
doctrine of all ages in the words : 

"By the authority of Jesus Christ, ... we declare and 
define to be revealed truth, the doctrine which holds 
that the Blessed Virgin Mary, by sf)ecial privilege of 
Almighty God, granted her in view of the merits of 
Jesus Christ our Savior, wsls preserved from every stain 



THIRD ARTICLE. 75 

of original sin in the first instant in which she was 
conceived."] 

The Evangehst relates how the other part of the 
prophecy of Isaias was fulfilled, viz. : 

The Birth of Christ : " And it came to pass that, 
in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar 
Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. . . . 
And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. 
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city 
of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is 
called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and 
family of David), to be enrolled with Mary, his espoused 
wife, who was with child. And it came to pass, that 
when they were there, her days were accomplished that 
she should be delivered. And she brought forth her 
first-born Son, and wrapped him up in swaddling-clothes, 
and laid him in a manger, because there was no room 
for them in the inn. And there were in the same coun- 
try, shepherds watching and keeping the night-watches 
over their flock. And behold, an Angel of the Lord 
stood by them . . . and said to them : Fear not ; for 
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall 
be to all people; for this day is born to you a Savior, 
who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And 
this shall be a sign unto you : You shall find the Infant 
wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and laid in a manger. . . 
And after the Angels departed from them into heaven, 
the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to 
Bethlehem and let us see this word that is come to pass, 
which the Lord hath showed us. And they came with 
haste, and they found Mary and Joseph, and the In- 
fant lying in a manger. And seeing, they understood 
of the word that had been spoken to them concerning 
THIS Child. . . . And the shepherds returned, glorifying 
and praising God for all the things they had heard and 
seen,'as it was told unto them." (Luke ii. 1-20.) 

In this account of our Redeemer's birth, two things 

How does St. Luke relate the fulfillment of the other part of 
Isaias' prophecy ? What are the two things to be observed in this 

account ? • ■ 



76 THIRD ARTICLE. 

are to be observed by us : ist, An overruling Providence, 
by which Christ's birth and all the circumstances of it 
were brought about, in accordance with the ancient 
prophecies; and, 2d, Christ's infinite love, in beginning 
so soon to suffer for us, and to give us examples of pov- 
erty, humility, mortification, etc., thus destroying the 
three great hindrances to salvation, etc. 

II. The birth of Christ was made known first to the 
Jews, in the persons of the poor shepherds, and after- 
wai;d to the Gentiles, in the persons of the three Wise 
Men, who came from the East to adore him. He was 
circumcised on the eighth day after his birth ; was perse- 
cuted by Herod; fled into Egypt, and, after Herod's 
death, returned to Nazareth ; at the age of twelve years, 
he went up to the Temple of Jerusalem with his Blessed 
Mother and St. Joseph. And " when they returned, the 
Child Jesus remained in the Temple, and his parents 
knew it not. And, thinking that he was in the com- 
pany, they came a day's journey and sought him among 
their kinsfolks and acquaintances, and not finding him, 
they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came 
to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the 
Temple, sitting in the midst of the Doctors, hearing 
them and asking them questions. And all that heard 
him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. 
And his Mother said to him : Son, why hast thou done 
so to us ? behold, thy father and I have sought thee 
sorrowing. And he said to them : How is it that you 
sought me ? did you not know that I must be about my 
Father's business ? . . . And he went down with them, 
and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. . . And 
Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, and grace with God 
and men." (Luke ii. 41-52.) No more is related of him 
till the age of thirty. 
Who was John the Baptist? 

He was the Son of Zachary and Elizabeth — " the voice 
of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of 

Give the events of the life of our Lord up to his twelfth year. Tell 
us about his being found in the temple. 



THIRD ARTICLE. 77 

the Lord; make straight his paths." (Luke iii. 4.) At 
the age of thirty, Christ, having been baptized by him 
in the Jordan, began his pubHc ministry by preaching, 
doing good to all, curing all kinds of diseases among the 
people, casting out devils, and working the most aston- 
ishing miracles to prove that he was the Messias. Thus, 
when John the Baptist sent to ask him, saying: "Art 
thou he that art to come, or look we for another ? Jesus 
said to them: Go and relate to John what you have 
heard and seen : the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers 
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, and the 
poor have the Gospel preached to them." (Matt. xi. 3-5.) 
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, preaching the Gospel 
of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and 
every infirmity among the people." (Matt. iv. 23.) Soon 
after he had begun his public mission he chose his twelve 
Apostles, who were to teach all nations all things what- 
soever he commanded them." (Luke vi. 13-16; Matt, 
xxviii. 19, 20.) 

Besides the miracles already mentioned, he changed 
water into wine (John ii. i-io); raised the dead to life: 
"And he said. Young man, I say to thee, arise ; and he 
that was dead, rose up." (Luke vii. 14, 15.) "He cried 
out with a loud voice : Lazarus, come forth ; and pres- 
ently he that had been dead, came forth (John xi. 43, 
44) ; He fed five thousand men with five loaves and two 
fishes, and they took up twelve baskets full of what re- 
mained of the fragments (John vi. 5-14) ; He also fed 
four thousand with seven loaves and a few fishes, and 
there remained seven baskets full of fragments (Matt. 
XV. 32-38) ; When the storm arose at sea, which put the 
Apostles in fear of perishing, " he commanded the winds 
and the sea, and there came a great calm." (Matt, viii, 
23-27.) 

He appealed to his miracles as proofs, etc. " If you 
will not believe me, believe my works . . . (for) the works 

Who baptized Christ ? Mention some of the miracles of Jesus 
Christ. Did he appeal to his miracles as proofs of his doctrines ? 



78 FOURTH ARTICLE— I. 

that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony 
of me." (John x. ^8, 25.) " Beheve for the very works' 
sake." (John xiv. 12.) " If I had not done among them 
the works that no other man hath done, they would not 
have sin." (John xv. 24.) Yet, notwithstanding his great 
miracles and his unwearied charity in' doing good to all, 
the 1 ews were continually seeking opportunities to kill 
him, but no "man laid hands on him, because his hour 
had not yet come." (John vii. 30; viii. 20.) 

After having spent three years in his public ministry — 
in preaching and teaching, and doing good to all — he 
at length gave us the greatest testimony of his love, in 
the institution of the Blessed Eucharist. After this he 
permitted himself to be betrayed by his own disciple ; 
to be apprehended by his own chosen people ; to be 
cruelly treated by them, and put to death. But of his 
sufferings and death I will give a more particular account 
in the next Instruction. 

The Life of Christ should be the frequent subject of 
your meditation. Reflect, therefore, occasionally on the 
chief events of his Life; on his examples of fraternal 
charity (for his miracles were to do good) ; on his ex- 
amples of patience under contradiction, of poverty of 
spirit, of humility, of zeal, etc. 

What was his last testimony of love ? Should we meditate on his 
life? 



Instruction XIII. 

FOURTH ARTICLE. 

Chris fs Passion and Death. 

What is the Fourth Article of the Creed? — Suffered under Pontius 
Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. 

What did Christ suffer? — A bloody sweat, scourging at the pillar, 
crowning with thorns, and the carriage of his Cross. 

What else? — He was nailed to a Cross, and died upon it between 
two thieves. 

Why did he suffer? — For our sins. 

Upon what day did he siiffer? — On Good Friday. 

Where did he suffer ? — On Mount Cailvary. 



FOURTH ARTICLE— I. 79 

In the last Instruction I explained the Third Article 
of the Creed, by giving the Scriptural account of the 
incarnation and birth of Christ, and I gave also a short 
history of his Life. We come now to the Fourth Article, 
which makes mention of his Passion and Death, And 
as the sufferings which he endured for our sake are a 
striking proof of his great love for us,, it is very import- 
ant that you should know well the history of his Passion 
and Death, that the consideration of what he has suffered 
for your sake may inflame your hearts, etc. 

" Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he 
should pass out of this world to the Father; having 
loved his own who were in the world, he loved them 
unto the end." (John xiii. i.) And it was then (at the 
end of his life) that he gave us the greatest and tenderest 
proofs of his love. 

Going up to Jerusalem, he entered the city in triumph, 
amidst the acclamations of the people. For " they took 
branches of palm-trees and went forth to meet him, and 
cried : Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name 
of the Lord, the King of Israel." (John xii. 12, 13.) 
[These same people^ a few days after ^ cried out : *^ Crucify 
him / Crucify him ! " which- shows what little account is 
to be made of the esteem or dis esteem of men.) 

'' Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called 
the Pasch, was at hand. And the chief-priests and the 
scribes sought how they might put Jesus to death." 
(Luke xxii. i, 2.) "Then went out one of the twelve, 
who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief-priests, and 
he said to them : What will you give me and I will 
deliver him unto you ? But they appointed him thirty 
pieces of silver. And from thenceforth he sought op- 
portunity to l;)etray him." (Matt. xxvi. 14-16.) And 
Jesus " sent Peter and John, saying : Go and prepare 
for us the Pasch, that we may eat. . . . And when the 

Why should we know well the history of his Passion and Death? 
When was it he gave us the greatest and tenderest proofs of his 
love ? How was he received in Jerusalem ? What did Judas do ? 



80 FOURTH ARTICLE— I. 

hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve Apostles 
with him." (Luke xxii. 8, 14.) 

'^ And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread, 
and blessed and broke, and gave to his Apostles, and 
said : Take ye and eat, this is my body. And taking the 
Chalice, he gave thanks; and gave to them, saying: 
Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the New 
Testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission 
of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 26-28.) 

Having thus instituted the Blessed Sacrament of the 
Altar, Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane with 
Peter, James and John. "Then he saith to them: " My 
soul is sorrowful even unto death. And going a little 
further, he fell upon his face and prayed, saying : Father, 
it thou wilt, remove this chalice from me ; but yet not 
my will, but thine be done. And being in an agony, he 
prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of 
blood trickling down upon the ground." (Matt. xxvi. 
38, 39.) [Example of having recourse to God in our 
trouble^ and of praying with great reverence^ with perse- 
verance and with complete submission to the diviiie will.] 

" Then he cometh to his disciples and saith to them : 
Rise, let us go ; behold he is at hand that will betray 
me." Scarcely had he said this when Judas, at the head 
of a great multitude, came and betrayed him with a kiss. 
(Matt. xxvi. 45-50.) 

'* And they took Jesus and bound him, and they led 
him away to Annas first." And here they examined Jesus 
concerning his disciples and his doctrine. Answering, he 
said : '' I have spoken openly to the world, . . and in secret 
r have said nothing . . . Ask them who have heard me." 
Then "one of the servants standing by gave. Jesus a 
blow, saying : Answerest thou the high-priest so ? And 
Jesus answered him: If I have spoken evil, give testi- 
mony of the evil ; but if well, why strikest thou me ? " 
(John xviii. 12-23.) [Example of mildness and forbear- 
ance under iftjuries, provocations and insults.] 

Describe the Lord^s Supper. Describe the Agony. Tell how he 
was taken. 



FOURTH ARTICLE— I. 81 

** And Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high- 
priest." (John xviii. 24.) And here they " sought false 
witness against Jesus that they might put him to death . . 
And the high-priest rising up, said to him : Answerest 
thou nothing to the things which these witness against 
thee ? But Jesus held his peace. And the high-priest 
said to him : I adjure thee by the living God, that thou 
tell us if thou be the Christ, the Son of God ? Jesus 
saith to him : Thou hast said it. Then the high-p¥iest 
rent his garments, saying : He hath blasphemed ; what 
further need have we of witnesses ? Behold, now, you 
have heard the blasphemy, what think you ? but they 
answered and said : He is guilty of death. Then did 
they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and struck his 
face with the palms of their hands," and bid him 
prophesy who it was that struck him. (Matt. xxvi. 57-68.) 

Notwithstanding the admonition of his divine Master 
and his own protestations, Peter denied his Lord three 
times, and even confirmed his denial with an oath. 
(Matt, xxvi, 69-75.) 

[ Example of the fatal consequences of presumption or self- 
confidence^ which leads to grievous falls; and of iminediate 
correspondence with the grace of repentance- which leads to 
pardon, yudas also repefited of his treason^ but without 
hope of pardon ; he joined despair with his repentance^ 
and therefore he died in his sin,] 

" And when morning was come (i. e., on the morning 
of Good- Friday), they took counsel against Jesus, that 
they might put him to death And they brought him 
bound X.0 Pontius Pilate the Governor." (Matt, xxvii. i, 2.) 
And here " they began to accuse him " of being seditious, 
of " stirring up the people " to rebelHon, of perverting the 
nation," etc. But Pilate said to them : " I find no cause 
in him." And he sent him to .^r<^^ Antipas, son of 
that Herod who killed the Innocents. " And Herod, 

Where was Jesus taken first ? What happened there ? To whom 
was Christ next taken? What occurred there? Which of the 
Apostles denied his Master ? 
6 



82 FOURTH ARTICLE— I. 

with his army, set him at naught and mocked him, putting 
on him a white garment and sent him back to Pilate." 
(Luke xxiii. i— 12.) 

Pilate, wishing to deliver Jesus out of the hands of 
the Jews (for "of necessity he was to release unto them 
one upon the feast day"), proposed to them two, viz., 
Barabbas, a murderer, and Jesus. " But the whole multi- 
tude together cried out, saying: Away with this man, 
and release unto us Barabbas. And Pilate again spoke 
to them, desiring to release Jesus. But they cried again, 
saying : Crucify him ! crucify him ! And he said to them 
the third time : Why, what evil hath this man done ? I 
find no cause of death in him ; I will chastise him, there- 
fore, and let him go. But they were instant with loud 
voices, requiring that he might be crucified, and their 
voices prevailed." And he released unto them Barabbas. 
(Luke xxiii. 13-25.) 

"Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the 
soldiers, platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head ; 
and they put on him a purple garment, and they came 
to him and said : Hail, King of the Jews ! and they gave 
him blows. Pilate, therefore, went forth again and saith 
to them : Behold I bring him forth unto you, that you 
may know that I find no cause in him. (Jesus therefore 
came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple 
garment.) And he saith to them : Behold the Man / " 
But " they cried out, saying : Crucify him ! crucify him ! . . 
If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend . . . 
Then therefore he delivered him to them to be crucified." 
(John xix. I- 1 6.) [Example of the fatal consequences of 
loving the friendship of the world \ 

" And they took Jesus and led him forth. And bear- 
ing his own cross he went forth to that place which is 
called Calvary." (John xix. 16, 17.) Having arrived 
at Calvary, he was stripped of his clothes, nailed to the 

What difference is there between the repentance of Peter and that 
of Judas ? Who were the accusers and what the accusation before 
Pilate? Describe Pilate's action until he released Barabbas. Nar- 
rate Pilate's action after this. 



FOURTH ARTICLE— I. 83 

Cross, and crucified upon it between two thieves; and 
while he was hanging on the Cross he was reproached, 
reviled and blasphemed by the surrounding multitude. 
He hved three hours on the Cross, enduring the most 
excruciating tortures, during which time the sun was 
darkened. (Matt, xxvii. 39-45 ; Luke xxiii. 35-45.) 

The last Seven Words on the Cross : 

1. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what 
they do." (Luke xxiii. 34.) 

2. " Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with 
me in Paradise.'* (Luke xxiii. 43.) 

3. "Woman, behold thy son; behold thy mother." 
(John xix. 26, 27.) 

4. " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? " 
(Matt. xxvi. 46.) 

5. " I thirst." (John xix. 28.) 

6. " It is consummated." (John xix. 30.) 

7. " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. 
And saying this, he gave up the ghost." (Luke-xxiii. 46.) 

When he " yielded up the ghost," all nature proclaimed 
his divinity : " The veil of the Temple was rent in two, 
from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, 
and the rocks were rent, and the graves were opened, 
and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, 
and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came 
into the holy city, and appeared to many." And some 
of them that witnessed his crucifixion, " having seen the 
earthquake, and the things that were done, said : Indeed 
this was the Son of God." (Matt, xxvii. 50-54.^ " And 
all the multitude of them that were come together to that 
sight and saw the things that were done, returned strik- 
ing their breasts." (Luke xxiii. 48.) 

And when it was evening Joseph of Arimathea " went 
to Pilate and asked the body of Jesus, and Pilate com- 
manded that it should be delivered to him. And Joseph 

Tell us about the Crucifixion. Which are the last seven words on 
the Cross ? What happened at the death of Jesus ? Tell how he 
was buried. 



84 FOURTH ARTICLE— II. 

taking the body . . . laid it in his own new monument, 
which was hewed out of a rock, and he rolled a great 
stone to the door of the monument and went his way . . . 
And the chief-priests and Pharisees made the sepulchre 
sure, sealing the stone and setting guards." (Matt, xxvii. 
57-66.) 

The death of Christ was not forced, but voluntary : 

" I lay down my life that I might take it again * 

No man taketh it away from me ; but I lay if down of 
myself" (John x. 17, 18.) 

Fruits of his death: i. He has delivered us by it 
from sin and from the slavery of the devil: He hath 
washed us from our sins in his own blood." (Apoc. i. 5.)* 

2. He has reconciled us to God : " For God indeed was 
in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." (2 Cor, v. 19.) 

3. He has reopened to us the gates of heaven, which 
had been so long shut against all mankind ; for, being 
consummated, he became the cause of eternal salvation 
to all who obey him." (Heb. v. 9.) 

Exhortation : Frequently reflect on the sufferings of 
Jesus Christ : consider who it is that suffers ; for whom 
does he suffer; from whom; how much; in what man- 
ner. He suffers with patience, with perfect resignation, 
with charity, praying for his very persecutors, etc. 

Was the death of Christ forced ? What are its fruits ? 



Instruction XIV. 

FOURTH ARTICLE — CONCLUDED; FIFTH ARTICLE. 

On the Sign of the Cross; the Descent of Christ into Limbo; 
and his Resurrection, 

Why do we make the sign of the Cross ? — For two reasons : First, 
to put us in mind of the Blessed Trinity ; and, secondly, to put us 
in mind that God the Son became man, and died upon a C'ross for us. 

IVhat puts us in mind of the Blessed Trinity when we make the 
sign of the Cross '^ — These words: In the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 



FOURTH ARTICLE— II. 85 

What puts us in mind that Christ became man and suffered on a 
Cross ? — The very making or signing ourselves with the sign of the 
Cross. 

What is the Fifth Article of the Creed?— He descended into hell ; 
the third day he rose again from the dead. 

Whither did the soul of our Savior go after death ? — His soul 
went down into that part of hell called Limbo. 

What do you mean by Limbo? — I mean a place of rest, where the 
souls of the saints who died before Christ were detained. 

Who ivere these saints ? — Those who had faithfully observed the 
laws of God. 

Did none go up to heaven before our Savior? — No ; they expected 
him to carry them up thither. 

What means the third day he rose again from the dead? — It 
means, that after Christ had been dead and buried part of three 
days, he raised his blessed body to life again on the third day. 

On what day did Christ rise again from the dead? — On Easter- 
day. 

I. As the sufferings and death of Christ are a most 
striking proof of his great love for us, we cannot think 
of them too often. The frequent reflection . . inflames, 
etc. ; and is very pleasing to Christ. For this reason it 
is that we make such frequent use of the sign of the 
Cross in all our prayers and ceremonies, etc. For, 

1. As the Catechism teaches, the sign of the Cross 
serves to remind us of the two most important truths of 
Religion — of those two truths which contain the sum of 
all Christian knowledge, for it reminds us of our last 
end, viz. : the Blessed Trinity, and also of the means of 
attaining that end, viz. : Jesus Christ, who is " the way, 
the truth, and the life." (John xiv. 6.) [Explain what is 
meant by redemption, and apply it to this subject?^ 

2. When we begin and end our prayers with the sign 
of the Cross it is as much as to say: We pray through 
the merits of Christ. 

3. It is a powerful defence in temptation. As the 
blood of the Paschal Lamb, sprinkled on the door-posts, 
was a preservative against the destroying angel, so the 
sign of the Cross, or of Christ's blood being shed for us, 
preserves us from falling into the destructive hands of 

Of what does the sign of the Cross remind us ? What does it mean 
in the beginning of our prayers ? Of what use is it in temptation ? 



86 FIFTH ARTICLE. 

the angels of darkness. The Fathers of the Church 
speak of it as such. 

4. The use of it is most ancient in the Church. Ter- 
tuUian says : "At every step, at our coming in and going 
out, when we sit down to table, when we go to bed, we 
imprint on our foreheads the sign of the Cross." 

When we make the sign of the Cross we should ac- 
company the act with proper dispositions. " As circum- 
cision profiteth indeed, if thou keep the law; but if thou 
be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is made 
uncircumcision " (Rom. ii. 25); so likewise the sign of 
the Cross profiteth indeed, if, etc. . . In order to derive 
advantage from it, it should be made correctly^ delibe- 
rately^ etc. 

II. What is the Fifth Article of the Creed '^ — He descended into 
hell ; the third day he rose again from the dead. 

Whither did the soul of the Savior go after death ? — His soul went 
down into that part of hell called Limbo. 

When Christ died upon the Cross his soul separated 
from his body, but did the Divinity also separate from 
it ? No ; the Divinity remained united with the body 
and also with the soul. 

Christ being dead, Joseph of Arimathea took down 
the body of Jesus, and laid it in his own new monu- 
ment, to the door of which he rolled a large stone ; and 
the Jews, having sealed the stone, set guards round the 
sepulchre. 

But whither did the soul of Jesus go ? 

His soul went into Limbo. The Apostles* Creed 
says : " He descended into hell," by which is meant, not 
into hell where the wicked are punished, but into " the 
heart of the earth." (Matt. xii. 40.) " He descended 
into the lower parts of the earth " (Eph. iv. 9) ; into 
that place where Lazarus was seen " in Abraham's 
bosom" (Luke xvi. 23); which place Catholics call 
"Limbor 

Is its use ancient ? Should we accompany the making of this with 
proper dispositions ? What became of the body of Christ after 
his death ? 



FIFTH ARTICLE. 87 

Why did he go thither ? 

I. To communicate the happy tidings of Redemp- 
tion, etc. '^ He went and preached to those spirits that 
were in prison" (i Pet. iii. 19); 2d, To deUver the saints 
who were there detained, and to take them to heaven at 
his ascension : " Ascending on high, he led captivity 
captive." (Eph. iv. 8.) 

Had none gone to heaven before our Savior? 

No ; for he says : " No man hath ascended into 
heaven, but the Son of Man, who is in heaven." (John 
iii. 13.) Enoch and EHas were taken up, but only to 
the lower heavens; they do not enjoy the beatific vision. 
Adam's sin had shut the gates of heaven against all 
mankind. 

Did Christ's presence occasion great joy to the souls in Limbo? 

Yes ; it was the great object of their desires, and, as 
" hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul " (Pro v. xiii. 
12), so the presence of Christ, by removing that afflicting 
delay, changed Limbo into a Paradise of delight ; and 
hence he said to the penitent thief: ^'This day thou 
shalt be with me in Paradise y (Luke xxxiii. 43.) 

How long did the soul of Christ remain there ? 

From three o'clock on Friday afternoon, till early on 
Sunday morning. 

III. What means the third day he rose again from the dead ?-^lt 
means that after Christ had been dead and buried part of three days, 
he raised his blessed body to life again on the third day. 

On what day did Christ rise again from the dead ^— On Easter- 
day. 

How did he raise himself to life again ? 

By his own divine power, his soul returned to the 
body, etc. : " I lay down my life that I might take it 
again. . . And I have power to lay it down, and I have 
power to take it up again." (John x. 17, 18.) ^* Destroy 
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up ; , . . but 
he spoke of the temple of his body." (John ii. 19, 21.) 

"And when it began to dawn toward the first day of 
the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary to 



88 FIFTH ARTICLE. 

see the sepulchre, and behold, there was a great earth- 
quake. For an Angel of the Lord descended from 
heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone and sat upon 
it. . . . And the guards were struck with terror, and be- 
came as dead men." (Matt, xxviii. 1-4.) For a guard 
of soldiers had been set around the sepulchre to prevent 
the body from being taken away till after the third day, 
and they did this with the view of proving Christ to be 
a deceiver : " And the chief-priests and Pharisees came 
together to Pilate, saying: Sir, we have remembered 
that that seducer said while he was yet alive : After three 
days I will rise again. Command, therefore, the sepul- 
chre to be guarded until the third day, lest perhaps his 
disciples come and steal him away and say to the peo- 
ple : He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall 
be worse than the first." (Matt, xxvii. 62-66.) 

When the guards who had been stationed around the 
sepulchre had seen the angel roll away the stone, etc., 
" some of them came into the city and told the chief- 
priests all things that had been done." But they " gave 
a great sum of money to the soldiers, saying : Say you 
His disciples came by night and stole him away when 
we were asleep?" (Matt, xxviii. 11-15.) '^They give 
us sleeping witnesses," says St. Augustine. The Apostles 
would not dare to attempt to steal him away — they were 
too timid. Christ gave demonstrative proofs that he had 
risen again ; for he frequently appeared to many during 
forty days ; he showed them his hands and feet, and he 
even commanded Thomas to touch the wounds which 
had been made in his hands and side. (Luke xxiv. 39, 40 ; 
John XX. 20-27.) 

The Resurrection of Christ is a most important Article 
of Christian Faith- — it is a fundamental Article. For this 
fact being proved, proves the truth of Christianity : 

I. Because it was foretold : "And Jesus said to them: 
The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of 

Who went at dawn to the sepulchre ? What did they find ? Why 
was there a guard around it ? What did the guards do ? What did 
Ihe chief-priests do ? Is the fact of Christ's Resurrection important ? 
Give the first reason ? 



SIXTH ARTICLE. 89 

men ; and they shall kill him ; and the third day he shall 
rise again.'' (Matt. xvii. 21, 22.) Hence, the Jews 
guarded the sepulchre to prove him a deceiver. 

2. Because, when the Jews asked a sign of his being 
the Messias, he gave them this very sign : " As Jonas 
was in the whale's belly three days and three nights, so 
shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three 
days and three nights." (Matt. xii. 40.) 

3. Because the Apostles made this fact the ground- 
work of their preaching. Thus St. Paul says : " If Christ 
be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your 
faith is also vain. . . . But now Christ /> risen from the 
.dead, the first fruits of them that sleep." (i Cor. xv. 

14-20.) 

Give the second reason. Give the third. 



Instruction XV, 

SIXTH ARTICLE. 

The Ascension of yesus Christ ; Satisfaction^ Redemption 
and Impetratiofi, 

What is the Sixth Article of the Creed? — He ascended into heaven, 
sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. 

When did our Savior go up to heaven'^ — Forty days after he rose 
again. 

Why is he said to sit at the right hand of God the Father'^ has 
God the Father hands ? — No ; God the Father has no hands, be- 
cause he is a pure spirit; but the meaning of these words is, that 
Christ, as man, occupies the next place to God in heaven, being, as 
God, equal to his Father in all things. 

On what day did our Savior go up to heaven? — On Ascension- 
day. 

I. The Ascension : After his Resurrection from the 
dead, our Blessed Lord frequently appeared to his 
Apostles : " To whom he showed himself alive after his 
Passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to 

During how many days did Jesus appear to his Apostles after His 
Resurrection? 



90 SIXTH ARTICLE. 

them and speaking of the kingdom of God." (Acts i. 3.) 
After having instructed his Apostles in all the mysteries 
of his kingdom, and " opened their understanding that 
they might understand the Scriptures" (I.uke xxiv. 45), 
he gave them commission to go and teach all nations, 
and promised to be with them in their teaching till the 
end of the world ; and he empowered them to confirm 
their preaching with miracles : " Go ye into the whole 
world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he 
that believeth not shall be condemned. And these signs 
shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall 
cast out devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; they 
shall take up serpents, and if they shall drink any deadly 
thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay their hands 
upon the sick and they shall recover." (Matt, xxviii. 
19, 20; Mark xvi. 15-19.) 

On the fortieth day "he led them out as far as Be- 
thania (to Mount Olivet), and lifting up his hands he 
blessed them ; and it came to pass, while he blessed them, 
he departed from them and was carried up to heaven." 
(Luke xxiv. 50, 51.) "And while they were beholding 
him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them 
in white garments, who also said to them : Ye men of 
Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven ? This 
Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so 
come as you have seen him going up into heaven." 
(Acts i. 9-1 2.J 

Where is Jesus Christ now 9 

He "sitteth at the right hand of God the Father 
Almighty." (Apostles' Creed; Mark xvi. 19.) He 
ascended — i. To take possession of that seat of glory 
for himself, as man : " Ought not Christ to have suffered 
these things, and so to enter into his glory?" (Luke 
xxiv. 26.) And, 2. To prepare a place for us, to draw 
our hearts after him and to be our Mediator with the 

In what did He instruct them ? What commission did He give ? 
What power? Tell the day and describe the manner of His 
Ascension. 



SIXTH ARTICLE. 91 

Father : " Let not your hearts be troubled ; ... in my 
Father's house there are many mansions, and if I go 
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will 
take you to myself, that where I am you also may be." 
(John xiv. 1-3.) Christ "is at the right hand of God," 
says St. Paul, " always living to make intercession for 
us." (Rom. viii. 34: Heb. vii. 25.) " If any man sin, we 
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just." 
(i John ii. I.) 
1 1, Satisfaction — Redemption — Impetration. 

Having been taught in the preceding articles who 
Christ is — his Incarnation, his Birth, his Life, his Passion 
and Death, his Resurrection, and, lastly, his Ascension 
into heaven, we should now pause to consider the great 
blessings we receive through what he did and suffered 
for us while on earth. These blessings are: i. The 
Satisfaction which he has made for us to the Divine 
Justice. 2. The Redemption which he has purchased 
for us ; and, 3. His Impetration^ or the continual appli- 
cation of his merits for obtaining special blessings for us. 

I. What is Satisfaction? 

It is offering the offended or injured party a compensa- 
tion equal to the offense, so as to appease him and ren- 
der him propitious and merciful. Now, this is what 
Christ has done for us by offering the infinite merits of 
his Passion and Death in satisfaction for our sins. Our 
sins had offended the ijifi7iite Majesty of God; Christ 
offered an infinite atonement. 

Are the merits of Christ, then, of infinite value ? 

Yes: I. Because the dignity of his Person, being in- 
finite, gave an infinite value to whatever He offered for 
us; his actions were the actions of God, and therefore of 
infinite value — of infinite merit. 2. Because the per- 
fection of charity, also, with which he suffered for us, 
gave infinite value tp his sufferings. For this charity 

For what twofold purpose did He ascend to heaven? Which are 
the two blessings we receive through what He did and suffered for 
us? 



92 SIXTH ARTICLE. 

was no less than the infinite love of the Son of God for 
his eternal Father : " My meat is to do the will of him 
that sent me, that I may perfect his work." " For I do 
always the things that please him." (John iv. 34; viii. 29.) 

2. What is Redemption ? 

It is buying from slavery one who had once been free. 
Man was free at first, then he became enslaved to sin 
and Satan ; and now he is redeemed from. both, and from 
eternal death : ^^ In Jesus Christ we have redemption 
through his blood, the remission of sins." (Colos. i. 14.) 
" For he hath washed us from our sins in his own blood." 
(Apoc. i. 5.) By sin we had brought upon ourselves 
not only temporal, but eietfial death : " Thou shalt die 
the death." (Gen. ii. 17.) Jesus Christ, having taken 
upon himself our sins, suffered death in atonement for 
them ; and he offered his death to redeem us from that 
eternal death to which we had been doomed, and thus 
he purchased our freedom. 

3. What is the Benefit of Christ's Impetration ? 

By his merits, which are infinite^ Christ has purchased 
for us all graces, etc. He has not only cancelled the 
decree of our eternal condemnation and restored our 
title to the kingdom of heaven, but he has purchased for 
us all the means which will enable us to arrive at that 
kingdom. Now, it is through Christ^ s Impetration that 
we obtain these graces, and all the spiritual blessings 
which we receive ; we obtain them by his presenting his 
merits to the Father in our behalf. Thus it is that " sit- 
ting at the right hand of God, he maketh intercession 
for us " (Rom. viii. 34) ; thus it is that, when we have 
sinned, he is our "Advocate with the Father" (i John 
ii. i); that he is our only Mediator, who can offer his 
own independent merits in our favor. 

Since Christ has redeemed all men fully, will all therefore be 
saved ? 

No; certain conditions are required on our part for 
applying the merits of his Redemption to our souls, for 



SEVENTH ARTICLE. ^S 

we must believe and practice what he teaches, i. e., we 
must have ^^ faith working by charity ^ (Gal. v. 6.) There 
are but few, comparatively, who comply with both these 
conditions, and hence, though all are redeemed, yet but 
few are saved. The far greater part imitate the slothful 
servant who, having a talent in his possession, buried it 
instead of making a profitable use of it. (Matt. xxv. 14- 
30.) Do not imitate them, but employ the means of 
salvation which Christ has purchased for you. Take 
every opportunity which Religion and your circum- 
stances afford of applying his merits to your souls. For 
this purpose frequent the Sacraments, which are the 
appointed means of applying, etc. ; hear Mass, which is 
another appointed and powerful means ; be diligent and 
fervent in your prayers, offering them up through Chris fs 
merits : "Amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father any- 
thing in my name^ he will give it you." (John xvi. 23.) 
By thus making use of the means appointed for applying 
the merits of Christ to your soul, you will obtain such 
graces as will enable you to join good works to your 
faith^ and so to secure your salvation. 

What means should we employ in order to apply his merits to our 
souls ? 



Instruction XVI. 

SEVENTH ARTICLE. 

On the Day of judgment. 

What is the Seventh Article of the Creeds — From thence he shall 
come to judge the living and the dead. 

Will Christ ever come again ? — Yes ; he will come down from 
heaven at the last day to judge all men. 

What are the things he will Judge? — All our thoughts, words, 
and works. 

What will he say to the wicked? — Go, ye cursed, into everlast- 
ing fire. 

What will he say to the just? — Come, ye blessed of my Father, 
receive ye the kingdom which is prepared for you. 

Shall not every man be judged at his death as well as at the last 
day?—YQs\ he shall. 



94 SEVENTH ARTICLE. 

In the preceding Articles of the Creed, we have con- 
sidered Jesus Christ in the quaUty of our Redeemer^ but, 
in this Seventh Article, we have to consider him as our 
Judge. 

When will he judge us ? 

He will judge us, first, at our death ; and, secondly, at 
the last day. 

I. At our death. — For "it is appointed unto men 
once to die; and after this the judgment." (Heb. ix. 27.) 
(JExamples of Dives and Lazarus. ) (^ Luke x vi. 1 9-3 1 . ) 

What need then is there of the General Judgment ? 

1. To vindicate the ways of God's Providence and to 
justify the conduct of the saints. Providence so ordains 
that the virtuous often live in adversity, affliction, and 
oppression ; that, during life, they are publicly treated 
with contempt and -scorn; that their piety is looked upon 
as folly, and their virtues as hypocrisy ; whereas, the 
wicked are frequently allowed to prosper in this world ; 
to live at their ease in the enjoyments of wealth and 
earthly comforts. The Psalmist, considering the earthly 
prosperity of the wicked, says : " Doth God know ? 
Behold, these are sinners, and yet abounding in the 
world, they have obtained riches ! And I said : then 
have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands 
among the innocent; and / have been scourged all the 
day. . . I studied that I might know this thing; it is 
labor in my sight, until I go into the sanctuary of God, 
and understand concerning their last ends.'' (Ps. Ixxii. 
12-17.) For then the scale will be turned. When the 
wicked shall behold the Elect raised to honor, then 
repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, they will 
say : " These are they whom we had heretofore in deri- 
sion, and for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed 
their hfe madness and their end without honor ; behold, 
how they are now numbered among the children of 
God, and their lot is among the saints." (Wisd. v. 1-5.) 

2. To do justice to Jesus Christ as man. On earth 
he was publicly dishonored by the world : " He became 



SEVENTH ARTICLE. 95 

a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the out- 
cast of the people, and all they that saw him laughed 
him to scorn. '^ (Ps. xxi. 7, 8.) He was falsely accused 
and unjustly condemned, and was executed in ignominy, 
as if he had been a malefactor. But at the last day he will 
be glorified before all, he will sit to judge all the nations 
of the earth. 

3. To judge the whole man^ body as well as soul. 

II. At the last day. — For "when the Son of Man 
shall come in his majesty, all nations shall be gathered 
together before him, and he shall separate them one 
from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from 
the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, 
but the goats on his left. Then shall the King say to 
them that shall be on his right hand : Come, ye blessed 
of my Father, possess ye the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world. . . Then shall he say 
to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from 
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared 
for the devil and his angels. . . And these shall go into 
everlasting punishment, but the just into life everlasting.'* 
(Matt. XXV. 31-46.) 

1. Signs that will precede the General J^udgment : 
There will be " wars and rumors of wars ; nation shall 
rise up against nation ; and there shall be pestilences, 
and famines, and earthquakes in places. Now all these 
are the beginnings of sorrows." (Matt. xxiv. 6-%.) After 
these things " there shall be signs in the, sun, and in the 
moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of 
nations by reason of the roaring of the sea and of the 
waves; men withering away for fear and expectation of 
what shall come upon the whole world; for the powers 
of heaven shall be moved." (Luke xxi. 25, 26.) 

2. Universal Destruction : After these signs will come 
the General Destruction, Torrents of devouring fire will 

Besides the vindication of the ways of Providence, what other 
reason is there for the General Judgment ? Describe the Last Day. 
What signs will precede ? Shall there be an universal destruction ? 



96 SEVENTH ARTICLE. 

pour down and consume all earthly things, cottages and 
palaces alike ; then there will be an end of all worldly- 
greatness . Our good works and evil deeds will alone 
remain of all that we possessed on earth ; these will 
accompany us to the judgment seat of God. 

3. Description of the General yudgment : After the 
Universal Destruction an Archangel will summon all 
mankind, saying : " Arise, ye dead, and come to judg- 
ment." Then, in a moment, the whole human race will 
be assembled into the Valley of Josaphat, which is in 
sight of Mount Calvary : " I will gather together all 
nations, and will bring them down to the Valley of Josa- 
phat ; . . . for there will I sit to judge all nations round 
about." (Joel iii. 2,3.) 

" And then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man 
in heaven; and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn; 
and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds 
of heaven with much power and majesty." (Matt. xxiv. 
30.) How different is this from his first coming I Not 
now to seek and to save ; not to console, etc. ; but to 
ytidge I What a terror to the wicked! what a consola- 
tion to the good ! 

The Judge being come " and all the angels with him, 
then shall he sit upon the seat of his Majesty, and all 
nations shall be gathered before him, and he shall sepa- 
rate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth 
the sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on 
his right hand, but the goats on his left." (Matt. xxv. 
31-33.) In this separation there will be no distinction, 
except of virtue and vice — the chaff will then be sepa- 
rated from the wheat. 

All mankind standing, in awful silence, before the 
judgment seat of God, the conscience of every one will 
be laid open to public view — secret sins will be made 
known : " For the Lord will both bring to light the hid- 
den things of darkness, and will make manifest the 

What shall be the Archangel's summons ? Where shall the human 
race assemble ? When and how shall the second coming of the Son 
of Man be ? Tell us about the separation. 



SEVENTH ARTICLE. 97 

counsels of hearts." (i Cor. iv. 5.) What a terror and 
confusion this will be to sinners ! and especially to Chris- 
Han sinners! But ih^just shall then "lift up their heads 
and. rejoice" (Luke xxi. 28); their private virtues and 
all their good works will be made known, and will con- 
tribute to their honor and happiness ; they will not then 
repent of having served God. 

The Sentence which will close the General J^udgment : 
All mankind seeing now the true state of their con- 
sciences, the Judge will turn to the just . . . and will pro- 
nounce their consoling sentence : " Come, ye blessed of 
my Father, possess ye the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world." There will the^i be 
an. end of all their crosses, afflictions, trials, mortifica- 
tions ! But turning to the wicked, he will doom them 
to endless misery : " Depart from me, ye cursed^ into 
everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his 
angels." (Matt. xxv. 34, 41.) This, then, is the end of 
the criminal pleasures and sinful vanities of this world — 
eternal misery in the flames of hell ! For the wicked 
will then be swallowed down into the bottomless abyss, 
to remain there forever. But the just will ascend with 
Christ and his angels into everlasting happiness. 

How this last Judgment shows the importance of 
serving God and of saving our souls ! You may have 
which sentence you please. You only have to make 
good use of the talents, etc., and then, like the good and 
faithful servants, you will receive that consoling sentence 
which will put you in possession of eternal happiness. 

Explain the exposure of consciences. In pronouncing sentence, 
what shall Christ say to the just ? What to the wicked ? What 
will be the end of the wicked and their criminal pleasures ? Of what 
does this article show the importance ? 



98 EIGHTH ARTICLE. 

Instruction XVII. 

EIGHTH ARTICLE. 

The Descent of the Holy Ghost ^ and the Establishment of 

the Church. 

What is the Eighth Article of the Creed? — I believe in the Holy 
Ghost. 

Who is the Holy Ghost? — He is the Third Person of the Blessed 
Trinity. 

From whom doth he proceed?— Yxonx the Father and the Son. 

Is he equal to them ? — Yes ; he is the same Lord and God as they 
are. 

When did the Holy Ghost come down on the Apostles in fiery 
tongues? — On Whit- Sunday. 

Why did he come down upon them ? — To enable them to preach 
the Gospel, and to plant the Church. 

As in the first Article of the Creed we profess our 
belief in God the Father, and in the six following Ar- 
ticles in God the Son, and the mysteries of Redemption, 
so in the Eighth Article we profess our belief in God the 
Holy Ghost. 

I. The Athanasian Creed shows the necessity and 
importance of knowing what we are to believe concern- 
ing the three Divine Persons, and, consequently, con- 
cerning the Holy Ghost. It teaches us that he is the 
same Nature, and same God, as the Father and the 
Son, and equal to them in all perfections. 

He PROCEEDS from the Father and the Son, and is 
one God with them : " There are three who give testi- 
mony in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
Ghost; and these three are one." (i John v. 7.) The 
manner of his PROCESSiON is a mystery, and therefore 
we cannot comprehend it. (i John xv. 26; xvi. 14, 15.) 

When did the Holy Ghost come down on the Apostles in fiery 
tongues? — On Whit-Sunday. 

How long was this after the Ascension? 

Ten days. After Christ had ascended into heaven, 

"What does the Athanasian Creed teach in regard to the three 
divine persons in general, and about the Holy Ghost ? From whom 
does he proceed ? What did the Apostles do after the Ascension ? 



EIGHTH ARTICLE. 99 

the Apostles retired into Jerusalem, and spent the ten 
days in silence and prayer, This shows how we are to 
prepare for receiving the Holy Ghost, or for receiving 
his grace in any of the Sacraments; it shows that we 
should spend some time in retirement and prayer. 

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost descended 
upon the Apostles : " And when the days of Pentecost 
were accomplished, they were all together in one place; 
and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a 
mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where 
they were sitting; and there appeared to them parted 
tongues, as if it were of fire, and it sat upon every one 
of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; 
and they began to speak with divers tongues, according 
as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. '^ (Acts ii. 1--4.) 
At the baptism of our Savior, the Holy Ghost appeared 
^^ as a dove^' to denote imiocence ; but at Pentecost he 
appeared as '''parted tongues^^ to denote universal preach- 
ing; and the tongues seemed to be '^ of fire ^^ to signify 
the charity^ zeal^ and success of that preaching. 

Effects of the Descent of the Holy Ghost: The Apostles 
were changed into quite other men. Before they re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost they were weak, timid, hid them- 
selves for fear of the Jews; but now they are inflamed 
with divine love, zeal, and courage ; they boldly preach 
in public. Before^ they were dull, could hardly compre- 
hend, etc.; now^ they are enlightened, the Holy Ghost 
" teaching them all things, and bringing all things to 
their mind, whatsoever Christ had said to them " (John 
xiv. 26) ; and giving them the gift of tongues and power 
to confirm their preaching by miracles. (Mark vi. 17, 18, 
20.) These miraculous manifestations of the divine 
power were necessary in the first establishment of the 
Church ; the first missionaries to any infidel nation have, 
in hke manner, worked miracles. 

II. The preaching of the Apostles^ and the success of 

Describe the descent of the Holy Ghost. What were the effects 
of the descent of the Holy Ghost? To whom did the Apostles 
preach first, and why ? 



100 EIGHTH ARTICLE. 

their preaching : The Apostles preached the Gospel first 
to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, and after that to 
the Gentiles. 

1 . To the yews first ^ because they were the chosen 
people, the children of Abraham, to whom the promises 
were more immediately made. 

Their preaching to the Jews was attended with great 
success : ** The Lord working withal, and confirming the 
word with signs that followed." (Mark xvi. 20.) At St. 
Peter's first sermon, 3000 were converted; and at the 
second, 5000. The other Apostles preached with the 
like success : " The Lord increased daily together such 
as should be saved." (Acts ii. 47.) 

Exemplary life of the First Christians: The first Chris- 
tians were all of one heart ; they were detached from 
earthly things; they sold their possessions, to be distrib- 
uted as each one had need: they lived in common, and 
assembled daily to prayer; and they esteemed themselves 
happy in suffering for Christ, like the Apostles, who 
"went from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that 
they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the 
name of Jesus.'' (Acts v. 41.) For the Christians were 
persecuted by the unconverted Jews; for, though many 
of the Jews were converted, yet the great body of the 
Jewish nation remained hardened in their unbelief. 

The judgments of God at length fell upon that un- 
happy people for their crimes and abuse of grace; for 
they were given up to a reprobate sense ; their city was 
besieged and destroyed under the Emperor Vespasian ; 
and more than a million of the inhabitants perished by 
famine or the sword. 

2. The Jewish nation not receiving the faith, the 
Apostles turned next to the Sa7naritans. Philip, the 
Deacon, converted great numbers of them, and Peter 
and John were sent to confirm them: "And there was 

Was their preaching attended with success ? What was the life 
of the first Christians ? Was the Jewish nation converted ? What 
was their punishment ? To whom did the Apoestles turn next ? 



NINTH ARTICLE— I. 101 

great joy in the city ; " for the Samaritans received the 
faith with gladness. (Acts viii. 9.) 

After this, God made known to Peter that it was now 
time to preach to the Gentiles. CorneUus was the first 
of them who received the faith. (Acts x, i, etc.) In 
order to "teach all nations," the Apostles dispersed; and 
they converted great multitudes in the different countries 
to which they went. St. Paul was called to the Apostle- 
ship when on his way to Damascus, and none preached 
more successfully. Thus, the Apostles established the 
Christian Religion with great rapidity and success in a 
world buried in idolatry and every kind of crime, in spite 
of persecutions raised by the devil, God rendering their 
preaching efficacious by his grace and by his miracles. 

The Apostles sealed with their blood the Faith which 
they had taught, leaving other appointed ministers to con- 
tinue the same work. Thousands also of the Christians 
suffered death for the faith, in the violent persecutions 
which were raised against them. The constancy and 
example of the Martyrs served very much to extend the 
faith for which they thus suffered and died. 



Instruction XVIII. 

NINTH ARTICLE. 

The Pastors'' Authority to teach and govern; and the 
People's Obligation to hear and obey. 

What is the Ninth Article of the Creed F— The Holy Catholic 
Church ; the Communion of Saints. 

What is the Catholic Church ? — All the faithful under one head. 

The Catholic Church consists of all those throughout 
the whole world who, being baptized, believe (at least 
implicitly) and profess the true doctrines of Christ, and 
are in communion with his Vicegerent on earth, the Pope. 

To whom did God make known that it was time to preach to the 
Gentiles ? What did the Apostles then do ? How did the A.postles 
seal their faith ? Of what is the Catholic Church composed ? 



102 NINTH ARTICLE— I. 

These are composed of pastors and people ; the pastors 
are the teachmg pari of the Church, commissioned to 
this office by Christ. 

I. The Pastors' authority as i:y.kqmy.^% proved : 

1. Christ declares that he himself was "sent to preach 
the Gospel" (Luke iv. i8), and this office he fulfilled: 
" All things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I 
have made known to you." (John xv. 15.) Now, he 
sent the Apostles with full commission to teach the same : 
"As the Father hath sent me, I also send you" (John 
XX. 21) : " Going, therefore, teach all nations . . . teach- 
ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you." (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) 

2. This commission was to continue. Thus it was com- 
municated afterwards to Matthias, to Paul, by him to 
Timothy : " The things which thou hast heard of me by 
many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men who 
shall be fit to teach others also." (2 Tim. ii. 2.) It was 
communicated likewise to Titus, and was to be still fur- 
ther handed down : " For this cause I left thee in Crete, 
that thou shouldst ordain Priests in every city, as I also 
appointed thee." (Tit. i. 5.) 

3. This authority is still further confirmed by the light 
in which pastors are represented in Scripture ; for, first, 
they are spoken of as Ambassadors of Christ: " For Christ, 
therefore, we are Ambassadors, God, as it were, exhort- 
ing by us " (2 Cor. v. 20) ; second, as acting in the persoft 
of Christ : " He that heareth you heareth nie," etc. (Luke 
x. 16), as messengers se?tt from God: "The lips of the 
Priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law 
at his mouth ; because he is the angel of the Lord of 
Hosts." (Mai. ii. 7.) 

Thus nothing can be more clear than this Authority 
of the Pastors to teach. And the obligation of the people 
to receive their faith from them can be shown to be equally 
clear 

Prove the Pastors' Authority as teachers. Was this commission 
to continue ? Does the Hght in which Pastors are represented in 
Scripture confirm it ? 



NINTH ARTICLE— I. 103 

II. The People's Obligation to hear and receive the 
Teaching of the Church: 

1. The Pastors are comanded to "preach the Gospel 
to every creature " (Markxvi. 15, 16), and this command 
is accompanied with the declaration of Christ, that " they 
who will not believe shall be condemned." (Mark xvi. 
15, 16.) Therefore the people are obUged to believe and 
follow their teaching, and to do so under pain of eternal 
condemnation. 

2. The Pastors were instituted to keep the people "in 
unity of faith" (Eph. iv. 11-13), therefore the people 
must receive their faith from them, otherwise that object 
could not be obtained. 

3. Christ says of himself: "All power is given to me 
in heaven and on earth." Matt, xxviii, 18, 19.) Now, 
this power he communicated to his Apostles, for he adds : 
"Going, therefore, teach all nations." (Matt, xxviii. 18, 19), 
for " as the Father hath sent me^ I also send you " (John 
XX. 21), i. e., invested with the same power and authority. 
Now, all mankind are obliged to hear the teaching of 
Christ ; therefore all are obliged to hear those Pastors 
who teach by his commission. 

4. He explains this still more clearly when he says : 
" He that heareth you heareth me^ and he that despiseth 
you despiseth 7ne'^ (Luke x. 16), thus requiring the same 
submission to the P,astors of the Church as to himself. 

5. Our Lord condemns all those who will not hear the 
Church as being no better than heathens and publicans. 
(Matt, xviii. 7.) 

6. St. Paul says : " Remember your prelates, who have 
spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow." 
(Heb. xiii. 7.) 

7. St. John, speaking of himself and the other Pastors 
of the Church, gives the following rule as a sure means 
of distinguishing truth from error, saying: "We are of 
God ; he that knoweth God heareth us ; he that is not 

Give the various reasons why the people are obliged to hear and 
receive the teaching of the Church ? 



104 NINTH ARTICLE— I. 

of God heareth not us ; in this we know the Spirit of 
truth and the spirit of error." (i John iv. 6.) 

Thus, then, you see how great is the teaching authority 
of the Pastors of the Church ; how strict also the obliga- 
tion of the people to attend to their teaching. 

III. The Pastors' Authority to rule and govern the 
Church proved : 

What other powers besides that of teaching has Christ given to 
the Pastors ? 

To rule and govern the Church ; \h^ full powers of the 
Priesthood are communicated to them for this purpose : 
"Take he.ed to yourselves and to the whole flock, wherein 
the Holy Ghost hath appointedj^^^<f Bishops to rule the 
Church of God." (Acts xx. 28.) 

The ruling comprises three general heads, mentioned 
by St. Paul. (Eph. iv. 12, 13.) He says they are ap- 
pointed : 

1. " For the perfecting of the saints; " i. e., for con- 
ducting the faithful to perfection by directing, prescrib- 
ing rules, giving advice, etc. 

2. " For the work of the ministry;" i. e., for instruct- 
ing, preaching, administering the Sacraments, offering 
Sacrifices, etc. 

3. " For the edifying of the body of Christ ; " i. e., for 
regulating the exterior of Religion — for preventing scan- 
dals, and for maintaining the discipline of the Church. 

IV. The People's Obligation to obey the Pastors of the 
Church approved : 

Are the people obliged IN conscience to obey their Pastors ? 

Most certainly they are : " Let every soul be subject 
to higher powers, for there is no power but from God; 
and those that are, are ordained of God ; therefore he 
that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God, 
and they*that resist purchase to themselves damnation.'* 
(Rom. xiii. i, 2.) " Obey your prelates and be subject 

What is the triple purpose of the Authority to Rule and Govern 
given to the Pastors of the Church ? 



NINTH ARTICLE— II. 105 

to them, for they watch as being to render an account of 
your souls." (Heb. xiii. 17.) 

In what are you to obey your Pastors ? 

In spiritual things — in all such as regard Religion and 
conscience. Therefore, when you disobey the Com- 
mandments of the Church, which regard Religion and 
conscience, you sin ; you despise divine authority ; and 
you despise the whole of that authority, for the precepts 
of the Church are given by the united sanction of the 
entire body of Pastors. And when you disregard the 
instructions, admonitions, exhortations, advice, etc., of 
your Pastor, you transgress likewise against an authority 
appointed by God : " He that heareth you, heareth me ; 
and he that despise th you ^ despiseth me." (Luke x. 16.) 



Instruction XIX. 

NINTH ARTICLE — CONTINUED. 

The Supremacy of St Peter : The Church cannot err. 

What is the Ninth Article of the Creed /'--ThQ Holy Catholic 
Church; the communion of Saints. 

IVhat is the Catholic Church ? — All the faithful under one head. 

Who is that head? — Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Has the Church any visible head on earth ? — Yes ; the Bishop of 
Rome. 

Why is the Bishop of Rome the head of the Church? — Because he 
is the successor of St. Peter, whom Christ appointed to be the head 
of his Church. 

What is the Bishop of Rome called? — He is called the Pope, which 
word Pope signifies Father. 

Is then the Bishop of Rome our Spiritual Father? — Yes ; he is 
the Spiritual Father of all the faithful. 

Can the Church err in what she teaches ? — No ; she cannot err in 
matters of faith. 

Why so ? — Because Christ has promised that hell's gates shall not 
prevail against his Church ; that the Holy Ghost shall teach her all 
truths ; and that he himself will abide with us forever. 

The Church is the congregation of all who beUeve 
and profess the true doctrines of Christ. These form one 



106 NINTH ARTICLE— II. 

united body : " We being many are one body in Christ." 
(Rom. xii. 5.) "And there shall be one fold, and one 
shepherd." (John x. 16.) 

I. The Churchy then, is one united body. 

In what are the faithful united, so as to form but ** one fold," but 
^' one body in Christ?" 

They are united in these three things, viz. : 

1. In the same faith. — ^The Pastors teach, and all 
believe and profess, those very same truths which were 
taught by Christ and promulgated by his Apostles : for 
as there is but " one Lord," so there is but " one faith." 
(Eph. iv. 5.) 

2. In the participation of the same Sacraments, those 
very Sacraments instituted by Christ. — Thus of Baptism- 
it is said : " In one spirit were we all baptized into one 
body." (i Cor. xii. 13.) And of the Blessed Eucharist: 
" All we being many, are one body, who partake of that 
one bread." (i Cor. x. 17.) 

3. In being all governed by one head. — Thus literally 
forming " one fold under one shepherd." 

II. The Churchy then, is governed by one head. 

Who is that head ? 

The Bishop of Rome, as the successor of St. Peter. 
The chief head is Jesus Christ: for God " hath subjected 
all things under his feet, and hath made him head over 
all the Church, which is his body." (Eph. i. 22, 23.) 
But Christ, being the invisible head, has appointed one 
under him to be the visible head — to act as his vice- 
gerent on earth. 

Whom has he appointed to this office ? 

St. Peter and his successors. 

• Proofs from Scripture that St, Peter was appointed to 
be the head: 

1. Christ changed his name to Peter, i. e., ^ rock^ and 
declared that he built his whole Church upon him, as its 
solid foundation, thus he put Peter in place of himself 
(Matt. xvi. 18.) 

2. Christ gave the power of /^f ^^^ to him, but not 



NINTH ARTICLE— II. 107 

to the others. Now, the power of the keys denotes 
supreme authority. Thus : " I will lay the key of the 
house of David upon his shoulder; and he shall open, 
and none shall shut ; and he shall shut, and none shall 
open." (Is. xxii. 22.) This was prophesied of Christ, 
who says of himself: "Thus saith the Holy One and the 
true one; he that hath the key of David; he that 
openeth, and no man shutteth; shutteth, and no man 
openeth." (Apoc. iii. 7.) Consequently, when he said 
to Peter: "To thee I will give the keys of the kingdom 
of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, it 
shall be bound also in heaven ; and whatsoever thou 
shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." 
(Matt. xvi. 19.) He evidently communicated to him 
this supreme authority in " the house of David," i. e., in 
the Church, appointing him his vicegerent on earth. 

3. When Satan desired to have the Apostles in his 
power, in order to prevent the overthrow of his kingdom, 
our Lord said to Peter : " Simon, Simon, Satan hath 
desired to have you^ that he may sift you as wheat; but 
I have prayed for thee^ that thy faith fail not, and thou 
being once converted, confirm thy brethren." (Luke xxii. 
31, 32.) Why thus secure Peter only ? and why leave 
and commission him to confirm the rest ? 

4. Again, after his Resurrection, our Lord said to the 
same Apostle : " Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me 
more than these ? He saith to him : Yea, Lord, thou 
knowest that I love thee. He saith to him : Feed my 
lambs. He saith to him again : Simon, son of Jona, 
lovest thou me ? He saith to him : Yea, Lord, thou 
knowest that I love thee, He saith to him: Feed my 
lambs." He asked Peter the same question a third 
time, and, having received the same answer, " he said to 
him: Feed my sheep." (John xxi. 15-17.) 

Why was greater love exacted from Peter than from the rest ? 

Because a greater responsibility was entrusted; for 

Give proofs from Scripture that St. Peter was appointed head. 
What is the first? second? third? fourth? fifth? sixth? 



108 NINTH ARTICLE— II. 

Christ made him the shepherd of his entire flock— of 
both sheep and lambs, i. e., of both clergy and laity — he 
made him the "one shepherd'' of his "one fold," i. e., 
the chief Pastor of his Church. 

5. In the lists of the Apostles given in the Gospel, 
Peter is always put first ^ and he is expressly styled the 
first: "The names of the twelve Apostles are these: 
THE FIRST, Simon who is called Peter." (Matt. x. 2.) 

6. Peter acted as the head in the assembly to choose 
St. Matthias (Acts i. 15-22); and in opening the first 
Council at Jerusalem, saying : " Men, brethren, you 
know that, in former days, God made choice among us, 
that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of 
the Gospel, and believe," etc. (Acts xv. 7.) 

7. The Councils and ancient writers attest this doc- 
trine. 

8. Peter's successors have invariably exercised this 
office from his time to the present day. 

Why did Christ appoint a visible head ? 

Because the Church is a visible body — a body com- 
posed of many members, and to be spread over all 
nations, differing in language, laws, customs, and polit- 
ical views, and yet to be one body. Now, it would be 
impossible to preserve unity, etc., without a visible head, 
(We have an example of this impossibility in the Refor- 
mation.) 

The Pope's supremacy consists in his primacy, both 
of honor and jurisdiction, over all the Bishops and 
Churches of the whole world. 

III. As the power of teaching is given to the Pastors, do Christ's 
promises of preserving the true doctrines belong to them ? 

Yes; they belong to the body of Pastors united with 
their head. This is what is meant by " the teaching 
authority of the Church,''^ This teaching authority can- 
not lead us into false doctrines, " because Christ has 

Do Councils and the acts of the Popes attest that Peter was head ? 
In what consists the Pope's supremacy ? Can the teaching author- 
ity of the Church lead into error ? Why not ? 



NINTH ARTICLE— II. 109 

promised that hell's gates shall not prevail against his 
Church," i. e., against the teaching authority of his 
Church: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I 
build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it." (Matt. xvi. i8.) "There shall come a Re- 
deemer to Sion, and to them that return from iniquity in 
Jacob. This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord : 
My spirit that is in thee, and my words that I have put 
in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out 
of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy 
seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever." 
(Is. lix. 20, 21.) " Going, therefore, teach all nations 
. . . and behold I am with you all days, even to the end 
of the world." (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) "I will ask the 
Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he 
may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. . . . He 
shall abide with you, and shall be in you." (John xiv. 
16, 17.) "But wdien he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, 
he will teach you all truth." (John xvi. 13.) Hence, St. 
Paul gives the Church this glorious title : " The Church 
of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." 
(i Tim. iii. 15.) 

Since, then, we are to receive our faith from the teaching of the 
Pastors of the Church, what are the doctrines which they do teach ? 

The Catechism is a summary of them, and, hence, it 
should be well learnt, and the explanation of it should 
be well attended to; parents should teach it to their 
children, and should send them to their Pastor for 
instruction. If parents are culpably negligent in this 
duty, will they not have to answer for the consequences 
of their children's ignorance. 

[the pope's infallibility. 

What is meant by an Infallible Teaching office ? 

It means that Christ established in his Church a living 
authority, whose duty and office it is to teach, without 
error, " all things whatsoever he has commanded." 

Should parents send their children to Catechism ? Why ? 



110 NINTH ARTICLE—II. 

How is this Teaching Office solemnly exercised ? 

This Infallible teaching office is solemnly exercised by : 
(i) The Pope as supreme head and teacher of all 
Christians when speaking ex-cathedra ; and, 
(2) By an ^Ecumenical Council. 

Are all the acts of this living authority, whether of Council or 
Pope, Infallible ? 

No; but the dogmatic or moral decrees which they 
issue, solemnly declaring and defining revealed truths, 
must be free from error. 

What is the faith of Catholics in regard to the Infallible Teaching 
office of the Pope? 

It is a defined article of Catholic faith that " the 
Roman Pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra ; that is 
(i), when in the exercise of his office of Pastor and 
Teacher of all Christians; and (2), in virtue of his 
supreme apostolic authority he defines a doctrine of faith 
or morals to be held by the universal Church ; he pos- 
sesses, through the Divine assistance promised to him in 
the Blessed Peter, that infallibility with which the Divine 
Redeemer wished his Church to be endowed in defining 
doctrines of faith and morals." (Sessio 4 Concil Vaticani.) 

What proofs have you ? 

1. From Scripture; all the passages adduced in regard 
to the teaching office of the Church and the primacy of 
Peter prove this. Therein Peter is declared to have the 
keys of the kingdom of Christ ; he is said to be Pastor 
of the whole fold, sheep and lambs, pastors and peo- 
ple. He is said to be the foundation of the Church, 
which is the pillar and ground of the truth. If the whole 
fold cannot err, much less can the pastor, who has the 
keys or charge. If the pillar and ground of truth di- 
vinely established cannot be " prevailed against," much 
less can its foundation. 

2. Councils. — Various councils held in the East ex- 
pressly or implicitly profess this doctrine, and the Council 
of Florence, held in 1439 (both Latin and Greek concur- 



NINTH ARTICLE— III. Ill 

ring), " defines that the Roman Pontiff is the Father and 
Teacher of ^// Christians, and that to him in blessed Peter 
was given by our Lord Jesus Christ full power of feed- 
ing, ruling and governing the whole Church.'^ 

3. The Holy See is the one permanent supreme court 
of the Church, for Councils are sometimes not called for 
centuries. The Church is declared by God to be the 
pillar and ground of truth, against which error cannot 
prevail. Could this supreme court of the Christian 
Church err in its decisions ex-cathedra^ the whole Church 
bound to obey it could also err, which is contrary to 
Catholic faith ; therefore this permanent supreme tribunal 
must be infallible in its decisions.] / 



Instruction XX. 

NINTH ARTICLE — CONTINUED. 

The Four Marks of the Church, 

Has the Church of Christ any marks by which you may know 
her? — Yes; she has these four marks: She is One, she is Holy, 
she is Catholic, she is ApostoHcal. 

How is the Church One? — Because all her members agree in one 
faith, are all in one communion and are all under one head. 

How is the Church Holy ? — Because she teaches a holy doctrine, 
invites all to a holy life, and is distinguished by the eminent holiness 
of so many thousands of her children. 

How is the Church Catholic or Universal ? — Because she subsists 
in all ages, teaches all nations, and maintains all truths. 

How is the Church Apostolical? — Because she comes down by a 
perpetual succession from the Apostles of Christ, and has her doc- 
trine, her orders and her mission from them. 

Seeing that Christ has estabHshed a Church which 
can never fail ; that he has appointed Pastors in it whom 
he requires us to hear as himself and from whom he 
commands us to receive our faith under pain of eternal con- 
demnation, the great question is : Which is that Church ? 
and, Who are those Pastors ? A most important inquiry I 



112 NINTH ARTICLE— III. 

for it decides at once all religious controversies. " This 
(says St. Augustine) is a very short way — it requires no 
labor.' (" Magnum compendium, nullus labor.") 

Which, then, is the true Church ? 

This is easily discovered by those who seek sincerely. 
For the true Church has certain marks which are 
sufficiently plain to lead any person to embrace it. The 
true Church has these four marks : She is One^ she is 
Holy, she is Catholic, she is Apostolical. The Church of 
Christ has, and must have, these four marks. Reason 
tells us so; the Fathers also tell us so, and they prove it 
from the Scriptures; the Creeds likewise declare the 
same. The Apostles' Creed requires us to believe in 
two of these marks : " I believe the Holy Catholic 
Church ; " and the Nicene Creed requires a belief in all 
four : " I believe one, holy. Catholic and Apostolic 
Church." {See the d>th of the 39 Articles, which shows 
that Protestants believe and teach that the Church must 
have these four marks.) 

I. The true Church, then, must be One : Thus, the 
Scripture says : " One Lord, one faith, one baptism " 
(Eph.iv. 5); i. e., as there is but one Lord and one bap- 
tism, so there can be but o?te faith. Again : " Every 
kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate." 
(Matt. xii. 25.) Now, the Church is called " a kingdom 
that shall never be destroyed, . . . but shall stand forever." 
(Dan. ii. 44.) " There shall be one fold and one shep- 
herd.'^ (John X. 16.) "We being many are one body in 
Christ." (Rom. xii. 5.) 

Now, the Catholic Church alone is One. She is one 
body; for all her members are united in the sdiUit faith, 
in the same communion and under the same Head. 
Though they are spread over all nations and differ in 
every thing else — in language, laws, customs, etc., yet 
they are all united in religion; so that, as to religion, a 
Catholic may be said to be at home anywhere. We are 

As Christ has established a Church whose pastors are authorized 
to preach, what, then, are the four great questions ? Must the true 
Church be One ? Is the Catholic Church One ? 



NINTH ARTICLE— III. 113 

thus united, and always shall be, because we have the 
principle of unity. We have one fixed infallible rule to 
go by — the unerring decisions of the Church — unerring 
because secured from error by the promises of Christ ; 
and hence we are united in faith and communion ; we 
always have been so united, and we always shall be. 

But no sooner do persons leave our communion and 
form themselves into new Secis^ than they are torn asunder 
by divisions. Thus the followers of the Reformation 
are divided and subdivided without end. They are 
spotted like a leopard. (Apoc. xiii. i. 2.) And how 
could it be otherwise, since they have within them the 
very principle of division, viz., Private Judgment? 
. They have no common centre ; they differ, therefore, 
and they differ in essentials ; and they have frequently 
excommunicated each other. 

II. The true Church must be Holy. — It must neces- 
sarily be so, because it cometh directly from God. St. 
Paul tells us that " Christ loved the Church, and deliv- 
ered himself up for it, that he might sanctify it, . . . that 
it should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. v. 25-27.) 
The true Church can teach none but true and holy doc- 
trines; it must supply its members with motives and 
efficacious means to become holy; and it must lead 
many to holiness. All this is essential to the true Church. 

Now, the Catholic Church alone is Holy. There is 
perfect agreement in all her doctrines, and this is an 
evidence of their truth ; every article of her faith tends 
to holiness ; she affords motives and efficacious means 
for becoming holy ; and thousands of her children have 
arrived at holiness ; all the Saints were Catholics whose 
holiness has been attested by undeniable miracles. And 
this is the grand proof of the holiness. of the Catholic 
Church. 

But Sects^ instead of having perfect agreement in all 
their doctrines, fall into inconsistencies, and, therefore, 

Are the Sects one? Must the true Church be holy? Is the 
Catholic Church holy ? Are the Sects ? 
8 



114 NINTH ARTICLE— III. 

into evident falsehood. They even teach immoral doc- 
trines, and they have had no sanctity attested by mir- 
acles. 

III. The true Church must be Catholic; i. e., not 
confined to one nation nor to one century, but spread 
over all nations and existing in all ages. i. It was 
instituted to be diffused over the whole world : " Going 
therefore, teach all nations y . . . and behold, I am with 
you all days y even to the end of the world." (Matt, xxviii. 
19, 20.) "Go ye into the whole worlds and preach the 
Gospel to every creature. ^^ (Markxvi. 15, 16.) 2. The 
success of its preaching was foretold : " Their sound hath 
gone forth into all the earth." (Ps. xxviii. 5.) " All the 
ends of the earth shall be converted to the Lord (Christ)^ 
and he shall have dominion over the nations." (Ps. xxi. 
28, 29.) 3. All this has been verified : " The truth of 
the Gospel is come unto you, as also it is in the whole 
world." (Col. i. 5, 6.) " Your faith is spoken of in the 
whole world." (Rom. i. 8.) 

Now, the Catholic Church is alone Catholic; she 
alone has fulfilled Christ's commission, for she alone has 
converted infidel nations to the Christian Religion; she 
has been always extending; when one nation has fallen 
off, others have been converted ; in many nations there 
is no other Religion known, and she is found in all 
nations. 

But Sects seldom extend over one nation ; they bear 
the name of the place to which they are confined, or of 
their founder, who, long after the Apostles, gave them 
birth. Their missionary accounts of success are com- 
pletely false. {^See Wiseman's Lectures on the Principal 
Doctrines and Practices of the Catholic Church, Vol, I, 
Led, vi.) 

IV. The true Church must be Apostolical. Evi- 
dently no Religion can be the true one except that 
which was founded by the Apostles, and which has re- 
Must the True Church be Catholic ? Is the Church called Cath- 

oHc, cathoUc? Are the Sects. 



NINTH ARTICLE— III. 115 

ceived \itx faith ^ her orders^ and her mission from them, 
by an uninterrupted succession : " For this cause I left 
thee in Crete, that thou shouldst ordain priests in every 
city, as I also appointed thee." (Tit. i. 5.) Mission^ as 
well as Order, is essential to the true Church : " As the 
Father hath sent me, I will also send you." (John xx. 
21.) " Going therefore, teach all nations \ baptizing 
them," etc. (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) " How can they 
preach unless they be sent?'' (Rom. x. 15.) 

Now, the Catholic Church alone is Apostolical. Each 
generation, from the Apostles, has received and handed 
down in the Catholic Church " all truth " taught by 
God. We have an unbroken succession of Pastors, 
whose orders and mission have come down, without in- 
terruption, from the Apostles : we can name every Pope, 
from the present one up to St. Peter. 

But Sects are far from being Apostolical. Protestants 
acknowledge they have no orders or mission except 
what they have received from the Catholic Church ; but 
they have received none from us — and no other religions 
pretend to have any. Ally except Catholics, came 1500 
years too late to be Apostolical. They cannot show 
any time, since the Apostles, when we began ; but we 
can show when^ where^ and by whom they began. 

Conclusion: — It is evident, from what has been said, 
that the Catholic Church alone has these four Marks. 
Therefore, she alone is the true Church of Christ, from 
which we are to receive our faith. And being infallible, 
she cannot lead us into error ; we have Christ's word for 
it that she shall not; but that he will always be with her 
in her teaching, and that the Holy Ghost will also be 
with her forever, guiding her into all truth. 

Must the true Church be Apostolic ? Is the Catholic Church 
Apostolic ? Are the Sects ? What is the conclusion ? 



116 NINTH ARTICLE— IV. 

Instruction XXI. 

NINTH ARTICLE — CONCLUDED. 

The Communion of Saints ; and Purgatory, 

What is meant by the Communion of Saints? — That in the 
Church of God there is a Communion of all holy persons in all 
holy things. 

And have we any Communion with the Saints in heaven? — Yes; 
we communicate with them as our fellow-members, under the same 
head, Jesus Christ, and are helped by their prayers. 

And are the souls in Purgatory helped also by our prayers? — Yes, 
they are. 

What do you mean by Purgatory ? — A middle state of souls suf- 
fering for a time on account of their sins. 

What souls go to Purgatory ? — Such souls as depart this life in 
lesser sins, which we Q.2SS. venial. 

Do any other souls go to Purgatory ? — Yes ; such souls as leave 
this world before they have fully discharged the debt of temporal 
punishment due for their mortal sins, the guilt and eternal punish- 
ment of which have been remitted. 

How do you prove there is a Purgatory? — Because the Scripture 
often teaches that God will render to every man according to his 
works, and that nothing defiled can enter heaven ; and that some 
Christians shall be saved, yet so as by fire. 

I. The Christian Church is but ''•one body'' (Rom. 
xii. 5.) All its true members are styled '' Saints,'' be- 
cause they either are so in reality, or, having been sanc- 
tified by Baptism, are called to be Saifits. All these 
members, throughout the whole Church, are united to- 
gether by a mutual interchange of good offices, which is 
called " The Communion af Saints," 

The Church of Christ consists of three parts; viz., the 
Church Triumphant in heaven. Militant on earth, and 
Suffering in Purgatory. All these participate in the 
" Communion of Saints," and are united : 

1. By being all under the same head, Jesus Christ, as 
his members. 

2. By the promise of the same good; which some 
already possess, some are secure of possessing, and the 
rest, in a state of uncertainty, are laboring to possess. 

Why are all true members of the Church called Saints ? What 
are the three parts of the Church ? In what are they united? 



NINTH ARTICLE— IV. 117 

3. By partaking in the prayers and good works of 
each other. For prayers, good works, sacraments, and 
sacrifice are common goods of the Church, in which all 
on earth, in heaven, and in Purgatory participate, as far 
as they are capable. 

Do persons who are in mortal sin participate in the ** Communion 
of Saints?" 

Such continue to be members of the Church ; but they 
are dead members^ united externally — /. <?., by faith, hope, 
and a right to the sacraments as means of pardon. 

Do excommunicated persons participate ? 

No, but they are still subjects of the Church : the 
same is to be said of heretics and schismatics. Unbap- 
tized persons (as Quakers, Jews, Pagans) have no com- 
munion with the Church in any way — they are not even 
subjects of the Church. 

How do we communicate with the Saints in heaven ? 

We honor their memory, join with them in blessing 
and praising God, ask them to obtain blessings for us 
by interceding in our favor, etc. They do intercede for 
us, and procure us many assistances — many favors, both 
spiritual and temporal. 

How do we communicate with the souls in Purgatory ? 
By praying, offering the Holy Sacrifice and perform- 
ing good works in their behalf, and so obtaining a re- 
mission of their punishment ; when they in their turn 
will pray for us. 

II. What do you mean by Purgatory? — A middle state of souls, 
suffering for a time on account of their sins. 

Purgatory is a place of suffering in the next world, 
prepared by Almighty God for the expiation of venial 
sins — of the punishment due to them — and of the tem- 
poral punishment due to mortal sin, the guilt and eternal 
punishment of which have been remitted in this life. 

What souls go to Purgatory ? 

They who leave this world in the state oi perfect inno- 

What is expiated in Purgatory ? 



118 NINTH ARTICLE-IV. 

cence^ which they had either always preserved or else re- 
covered after having lost it, go straight to heaven ; they 
who die in the guilt of mortal sin go straight to hell and 
are lost eternally. 

But they who being free from Xh^ guilt of mortal sin de- 
part this life : I, In the guilt of venial sin; or 2, Before they 
have fully satisfied divine Justice for the punishment due 
to them ; or 3, Before they have discharged the whole 
debt of temporal punishment due to their remitted mortal 
sins, go to Purgatory. Whoever, therefore, af the time 
of his departure hence is in all or any of these three 
last-mentioned states, will be condemned to a place of 
punishment for a time, and when he shall have fully 
satisfied God's justice by his sufferings, he will be trans- 
lated to heaven, to be there happy with God forever. 

How do you proz^e there is a Purgatory ? — Because the Scripture 
often teaches that God will render to every man according to his 
works — that nothing defiled can enter heaven, and that some 
Christians shall be saved, yet so as by fire. 

Proofs that there is a Purgatory, 

I. Divine Justice demands satisfaction for sin by tem- 
poral punishments after the guilt and eternal punish- 
ment have been forgiven. [Example of Adam whose 
sin, though pardoned, brought severe temporal punish- 
ments both upon himself and all his posterity (Gen. iii. 
17-24; Rom. V. 12); Example of Moses ^ who, for his sin 
in striking the rock twice was not permitted, even after 
forgiveness, to enter the promised land (Num. xx. 7-12 ; 
Deut. xxxii. 48-52); Examph of David ^ whose sin in 
numbering the people, caused, even after his repentance, 
70,000 persons to die by pestilence (i Par. xxi. 9-14', 
and whose sins of adultery and murder were severely 
punished after the Prophet Nathan had declared them 
forgiven. (2 Kings xii. 14.)] 

Now, this debt of temporal punishment must be dis- 

Does God demand temporal punishment for sin after the guilt is 
forgiven? Give examples. 



NINTH ARTICLE— IV. 119 

charged so7newhere. But suppose the sinner die before 
he has discharged it, the debt must still be paid ; but 
where ? in what place ? Certainly not in heaven, because 
there are no punishments there ; nor in hell, because the 
guilt of sin is forgiven, and because " out of hell there 
is no redemption." Where then ? In that prison of 
which Christ speaks when he says : " Be at agreement 
with thy adversary betimes, while thou art in the way 
with him, lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge, 
and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be 
cast into prison. Amen, I say to thee, thou shalt not 
go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing." 
(Matt. V. 25, 26.) 

2. Venial sin does not destroy the state of grace; for 
** a just man shall fall seven times and shall rise again " 
(Prov. xxiv. 16); and "in many things we all offend" 
(James iii. 2), and " if we say we have no sin, we deceive 
ourselves and the truth is not in us." (John i. 8.) Yet 
these venial sins dejile the soul and increase our debt of 
punishment. Therefore if we die in the guilt of venial 
sin only, what must become of us ? We cannot go im- 
mediately to heaven, because " there shall not enter into 
it (the heavenly Jerusalem) any thing defiled." (Apoc. 
xxi. 27.) We must be first purified by punishment. But 
where } Not in hell, because, not being in mortal sin, 
we are not to go thither : for " God will render to every 
man according to his works." (Rom. ii. 6.) Divine 
Justice will not punish us beyofid what we shall deserve. 
Now, we cannot suppose that God would condemn any 
one to eternal flames for a mere " idle word," and yet 
Christ assures us that at his tribunal " men shall render 
an account for every idle word that they shall speak." 
(Matt. xii. 36.) Where, then, is this purgation to be 
made except a middle place, where souls suffer for a time 
on account of their sins. 

3. " He that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it 

Where is that punishment undergone? Prove Purgatory from 
venial sin. 



120 NINTH ARTICLE— IV. 

shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the 
world to come." (Matt. xii. 31, 32.) 

4. " Other foundation no man can lay but that which 
is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now, if any man build 
upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, 
hay, stubble: every man's work shall be manifest; for 
the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be 
revealed in fire ^ and the fire shall try every man's work, 
of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he 
hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any 
man's work burn^ he shall suffer loss ; but he himsei/s\iA\ 
be saved, yet so as by fire." (i Cor. iii. 11-15.) 

Here we see that those souls whose works are perfectly 
good, without any admixture of evil, will, when judged 
after death, receive an immediate reward. But those 
whose good works are found to be mixed with imper- 
fections or venial faults (with wood, hay and stubble), 
will be condemned to "suffer loss" — to have those 
venial faults punished by fire, but not eternally; because 
they " shall be saved " after they shall have suffered the 
loss. Now, where is this loss to be suffered ? etc. 

5. This belief and the practice of praying for the dead 
are older than Christianity. Judas Maccabaeus "sent 
12,000 drams of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be 
offered for the sins of the dead. ... It is therefore a holy 
and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they 
may be loosed from sins." (2 Mac. xii. 43-46.) Hence 
before Christ the people of God believed it to be a holy 
practice to pray for the deady and believed that such 
prayer loosed from sin. 

Severity of the Sufferings of Purgatory. 

The poor souls that are condemned to " suffer loss " 
in that place of punishment shall indeed be saved ; but 
they shall be saved '''by fire. ^' They learn, by painful 
experience, " that it is a fearful thing to fall into the 
hands of the living God." (Heb. x. 31.) 

Prove it from St. Paul. Prove it from the practice of praying for 
the dead. Describe the condition of the soul in Purgatory. 



TENTH ARTICLE. 121 

They can do nothing for themselves, for ** the night '' 
has come upon them, "wherein no man can work." 
(John ix. 4.) Yet God is pleased to accept our prayers, 
etc., in their behalf. 

It is a very great act of charity to pray for them ; it is 
pleasing to God, and advantageous both to them and to 
us ; hence the Scripture calls it " a holy and a wholesome 
thought to pray for the dead." As an inducement to 
pray for them, consider who they are, what they suffer^ 
and how easily you can relieve them.^ Those whom we 
pray for will pray for us when they get to heaven. 

Conclusion. — The existence of Purgatory and the 
severity of its sufferings show how great is the evil of 
venial sin, and how advantageous are present sufferings 
(whether voluntary or sent by divine providence), if they 
be embraced and endured in a spirit of penance. 

Prove it from Scripture. Is it a charity to pray for them ? What 
is the conclusion ? 



Instruction XXII. 

TENTH ARTICLE. 

The Power of Forgiving Sins: Original Sin — Mortal 
Sin — Venial Sin, 

What is the Tenth Article of the Creed? — The forgiveness of 
sins. 

What is meant by this Article? — That there is in the Church of 
God forgiveness of sins, for such as properly apply for it. 

To whom has Christ given power to forgive sins ? — To the Apos- 
tles, and their successors — the Bishops and Priests of his Church. 

By what sacraments are sins forgive Jt ? — By baptism and penance. 

What is sin ? — An offence of God, or any thought, word or deed 
against the law of God. 

What is original sin ?— It is the sin in which we were all born. 

How came we to be born in sin ? — By Adam's sin, when he ate 
the forbidden fruit. 

What is actual sin ? — Every sin which we ourselves commit. 

How is actual sin divided 9 — Into mortal and venial sin. 

What is mortal sin ? — It is a grievous offence against God. 



122 TENTH ARTICLE. 

Why is it called mortal sin ? — Because it kills the soul and de- 
serves hell. 

How does mortal sin kill the soul? — By destroying the grace of 
God, which is the supernatural life of the soul. 

What is venial sin ? — That sin which does not kill the soul, yet 
displeases God. 

Why is it called venial sin ? — Because it is more easily pardoned 
than mortal sin. 

I. The Catechism teaches, in accordance with the 
doctrine of the Church, " that there is in the Church of 
God forgiveness of sins, for such as properly apply for 
it," and that the power of communicating this forgive- 
ness to those who do properly apply for it has been 
given by Christ " to the Apostles and their successors — 
the Bishops and Priests of his Church." 

Nothing can be more clearly proved from Scripture 
than this doctrine. I will say only a few words on the 
subject, in this place, because the proofs of it will be 
more fully given in the Explanation of the Sacrament 
of Penance. 

Christ worked a miracle to prove that, as man, Jlf 
had the power of forgiving sins on earth. " Jesus said 
to the man sick of the palsy : Be of good heart, son, 
thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the 
scribes said within themselves : He blasphemeth. And 
Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said : Why do you think 
evil in your hearts ? whether is it easier to say, Thy sins 
are forgiven thee, or to say. Arise and walk ? But that 
you may know that the Son of Man hath power on 
earth to forgive sins, then he said to the man sick of the 
palsy : Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 
And he arose, and went into his house. And the multi- 
tudes seeing it, feared and glorified God that gave such 
power to meny (Matt. ix. 2—8.) 

Now, this same power Christ gave to his Apostles, 
after his Resurrection, when, appearing to them, he said : 
" Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me^ I also 

What is the doctrine of the Church in regard to the forgiveness 
of sin ? Recite the miracle which Christ wrought to prove that as 
MAN he had power to forgive sin. 



TENTH ARTICLE. 123 

send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them ; 
and he said to them : Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose 
sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them ; and whose 
misyou shall retain, they are retained." (John xx. 21, 
22, 23.) These words, of course, have a meaning; but 
what can they mean, except that Christ gave to his 
Apostles the power of forgivmg and retaining sins ? 

God alone can forgive sins in his own name, and by 
his own power; but he can commission others to do it 
as his ministers, in his name, and by his power, as, in 
fact, he has commissioned the Apostles and their succes- 
sors. The means by which this power is exercised, and 
forgiveness applied to our souls, are the Sacraments of 
Baptism and Penance : by Baptism is remitted original 
sin, and also actual sins, if any have been committed 
before the reception of this Sacrament ; but by Penance 
are remitted all sins, however grievous, committed after 
baptism : the Sacrament of Penance is of no avail what- 
ever, in blotting out the sins of a person who is not 
baptized. 

Christ, then, has left in his Church the power of for- 
giving sins. But, 

What is sin ^ — Sin is an offence of God ; or any thought, word 
or deed against the law of God. 

II. What is ORIGINAL sin ? — It is the sin in which we were all 
born. 

Hcrw came we to be bom in sin ? — By Adam^s sin, when he ate 
the forbidden fruit. 

When Adam sinned, he and his posterity thereby lost 
original justice — became children of wrath — subject to 
concupiscence, to labor, sickness and death, and were 
under the threat of eternal death : " In what day soever 
thou shall eat of it thou shalt die the death." (Gen, 
ii. 17.) 

In consequence of Adam's fall, we are all bom in sin : 
" As by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin 

When and in what words did He give this power to the Apostles ? 
Is it by their own power or by Divine commission they forgive ? 
Through what means is this power exercised ? 



124 TENTH ARTICLE. 

death ; so death passed unto all men, in whom all have 
sinned, ^^ (Rom. v. 12.) 

The sin of Adam, which thus ^^ passed unto all men^^ 
would have excluded both him and us eternally from 
heaven, had not the Son of God purchased our Redemp- 
tion. The merits of this Redemption are applied to us 
for the pardon of original sin by Baptism ; " Unless a 
man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he 
cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John iii. 5.) 
III. What is MORTAL sin 9 — It is a grievous offence against God. 

Mortal sin is a most dreadful evil ! It destroys the state 
of grace ; renders the soul hideous and hateful to God ; 
closes heaven against us; and condemns us to hell: 
hence it is the greatest of all evils ! 

The greatness of this evil proved. 

1. Mortal sin is a grievous injury, an outrageous insult 
offered to the infinite Majesty of God. By how much 
greater is the dignity of the person offended, above that 
of the offender, by so much greater is the. insult. Now, 
by mortal sin, the creature rises up against the Creator 
^ — a mere worm against infinite Majesty. 

2. God's hatred to sin is infinite and eternal. Being 
infinitely holy^ he cannot but hate and abhor sin : " To 
God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike." 
(Wisd. xiv. 9.) 

3. Hence, he has punished mortal sin most severely, 
even in this life. Of this the Sacred Scriptures furnish 
many examples. Being just^ God has not punished sin 
more than it deserves; but, being merciful^ much less. 
Now, one sin stripped Adam of original justice — cor- 
rupted all human nature — doomed the whole of man- 
kind to suffer death, and closed the gates of heaven 
against us. Mortal sin brought down upon the whole 
earth the water of the deluge; (Gen. vi. 5, 6, 7 ; vii. 11, 

What was the result of original sin ? How are the merits of 
Redemption applied for the pardon of original sin? Is mortal sin a 
great evil? How do you prove it from the injury done to God? 
How from God's hatred ? 



TENTH ARTICLE. 125 

12, 21-24) called down fire and brimstone upon Sodom 
and Gomorrah, and the neighboring cities; (Gen. xviii. 
20; xix. 13, 15, 24, 25) armed the destroying Angel 
against the first-born in Egypt; (Exod. xii. 29, 30) caused 
the earth to open beneath the feet of Core, Nathan and 
Abiron, and to swallow them down alive into hell, to- 
gether with those who joined in their sin; (Num. xvi. 
28-35) delivered to destruction 23,000 of the children 
of Israel on one occasion, (Exod. xxxii. 7, 27, 28) and 
24,000 on another (Num. xxv. i, 2, 9) to be slain by the 
command of their offended God, etc. 

4. Mortal sin contains the blackest ingratitude to 
Jesus Christ. Our obligations to him are beyond con- 
ception; without him we must have been forever miser- 
able, etc. 

5. The effects of mortal sin on the soul are most 
lamentable! It destroys the spiritual life of the soul; 
and for this reason it is that it is called mortal or deadly : 
" All iniquity is like a two-edged sword, the teeth thereof 
are the teeth of a lion, killing the souls of men." (Eccli. 
xxi. 3, 4.) A soul in grace is beautiful, like an Angel, 
and is pleasing in the sight of God; but by sin she be- 
comes ugly, abominable, hateful : "' He that doth these 
things is abominable before God." (Deut. xxii. 5.) He 
who is the child of God, and the temple of the Holy 
Ghost, becomes a slave of the devil, and the habitation 
of unclean spirits. Sanctifying grace being lost, the 
merit of all past and present good works is consequently 
lost : " All his justices, which he hath done, shall not be 
remembered." (Ezech. xviii. 24.) 

6. Mortal sin deprives us of the sovereign good, of 
infinite happiness, and condemns us to an inconceivable 
and endless misery ! 

Such is the enormity, such the malice of this greatest 
of all evils, and such are the direful consequences which 

How from its punishment ? How from its ingratitude ? Explain 
the effects of mortal sin: 1st. The destruction of the spiritual hfe of 
the soul ; 2d. The privation it causes ; 3d. What it condemns to. 



126 TENTH ARTICLE. 

it brings upon them that commit it! How is it that 
Christians, who know all this, should dare to sin ? The 
reason is, because they do not think : amused by pleas- 
ures, by the world, they spend their time in dissipation, 
and give none to reflection : " With desolation is all the 
land made desolate, because there is none that consider- 
eth in the heart." (Jer. xii. ii.) "They take the tim- 
brel and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ; 
they spend their days in wealth, and in a moment they 
go down to hell." (Job. xxi. 12, 13.) 

IV. What is VENIAL sin ? — That sin which does not kill the 
soul, yet displeases God. 

Venial sin, although immensely less grievous than 
mortal sin, is nevertheless a very great evil, because it 
offends God, weakens grace, cools the fervor of charity, 
renders the soul less holy, less pleasing to God, and de- 
serving of severe chastisements. What can show more 
clearly the greatness of the evil of venial sin than the 
alarming denunciation directed against the Bishop of 
Laodicea: *^I know thy works, that thou art neither 
cold nor hot : I would thou wert either cold or hot; but 
because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, / 
will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth." (Apoc. lii. 

16.) 

Proofs that all sins are not mortal. — " A. just man shall 
fall seven times and shall rise again," (Prov. xxiv. 16) 
yet all the time he is called a '^jicst vian^ " In many 
things we all offend," (James iii. 2) and "if we say we 
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not 
in us." (i John i. 8.) Yet who will say that these 
Apostles were in mortal sin, or that they charge all 
others with being in mortal sin ? " Every idle word that 
men shall speak, they shall render an account for it at 
the day of judgment."(Matt. xii. 2)^.) Yet, who will say 
that a mere " idle word " would condemn a soul to the 
eternal torments of hell ? 

How IS it that Christians sin? Explain venial sin— its grievous- 
ness and effect. Are all sins mortal ? 



TENTH ARTICLE. 127 

If sometimes we fall into venial sins through frailty or 
inadvertence (as " idle words," distractions in prayer, etc.) 
we should lament them and humble ourselves, but not 
be surprised or uneasy, because we are not angels, but 
men, and must expect to experience human frailty. But 
if we fall into them deliberately^ or through habit^ we 
should look upon them as very great evils : 

1. Because they are deliberate offences against an in- 
finite Majesty. 

2. Because they lessen our love of God, and increase 
our love of creatures. 

3. Because they render us disagreeable to God, and 
provoke him to withdraw his graces : " Because thou art 
lukewarm, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth," 
(Apoc. iii. 15-17.) 

4. Because a habit of venial sins disposes and leads 
to such as are mortal : " He that contemneth small 
things, shall fall by little and little." (Eccl. xix. i.) 
" Behold how small a fire what a great wood it kindleth." 
(James iii. 5.) 

It is evident, from all this, with what care we should 
avoid venial sins, especially such as are deliberate or 
habitual, seeing the great evil which they contain, and 
the fearful consequences which they produce. Bear in 
mind, that by contemning these smaller sins, you will 
fall by little and little into greater, till you provoke God 
to " vomit you out of his mouth." Never, then, commit 
any sin deliberately^ however small, and employ the 
proper means for this purpose — viz., prayer, meditation, 
frequent and fervent reception of the Sacraments, morti- 
fication, constant watchfulness over your senses, etc. 

If we fall into sins of frailty, what should we do? How should 
we regard deliberate faults or bad habits? Why ? What is evident 
from this ? What means ought to be employed? 



128 ELEVENTH ARTICLE. 

Instruction XXIII. 

ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH ARTICLES. 

Deaths Resurrectiotiy Hell^ Heaven, 

What is the Eleventh Article of the Creeds — The Resurrection 
of the body. 

What means the Resurrection of the Body ? — That we shall rise 
again with the same body at the day of judgment. 

What is the Twelfth Article of the Creed 7 — Life everlasting. 

What means life everlasting? — That the good shall live forever 
happy in heaven. 

What is the happiness of heaven 9 — To see, love, and enjoy God 
forever more. 

And shall not the wicked also live forever 7 — They shall live and 
be punished forever in the flames of hell ? 

I. What is 'D'E.KTYL> 

It is the separation of the soul from the body. 
Before the general resurrection all mankind must die; 
even Enoch and Elias will return to the earth and 
die. Death is the punishment of sin decreed against 
the whole human race without exception : " By one 
man sin entered into this world? and by sin death; 
and so death passed unto all men ^ (Rom. v. 12.) 

That you must die is certain^ therefore prepare. That 
you may die any moment is also certai7i^ therefore prepare 
immediately^ and keep yourselves always prepared. That 
you can die but once is likewise certain^ therefore to pre- 
pare for death is the most important business of your life. 

II. Will the body ever RISE again, and when ? 

Yes ; at the last day. After the whole world has been de- 
stroyed by fire from heaven, and when there will not be 
a single person living on the face of the earth, the Gen- 
eral Resurrection will take place. God will send his 
angel to call the dead to Hfe : " For the trumpet shall 
sound, and the dead shall rise again incorruptible." (i 
Cor. XV. 52.) Each soul will be reunited to its own 
body — the same body which it had in this life : " I know 
that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise 
again ; and in my flesh I shall see my God : whom I 



TWELFTH ARTICLE. 129 

myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold." (Job xix. 
25, 26.) 

We shall rise in the perfect state of man ; but there 
will be a great difference between the good and the bad : 
the just shall rise in bodies glorious, brilUant, impassible; 
the wicked in bodies deformed, hideous, loathsome, and 
fitted for sufferings. 

The dead being risen again, we shall all be summoned 
before the tribunal of Jesus Christ, to be judged — to be 
sentenced by him according to our works. The explana- 
tion of this last judgment was given in the Instruction 
on tne Seventh Article of the Creed, and need not be 
repeated here. I will proceed, therefore, to explain the 
state of mankind after the general judgment, and this is 
what we are taught in the Twelfth Article : 

IIL What is the Twelfth Article of the Creed P—LlFE ever- 
lasting. 

IVhat means life everlasting^ — That the GOOD shall live forever 

HAPPY IN HEAVEN. 

We are all created for the enjoyment of eternal happi- 
ness, and we are placfed in this world in order that, by 
loving and serving God, we may arrive at that end of 
our creation. 

In what does the happiness of heaven consist? 

It consists in the Beatific Vision — -in seeing, loving, and 
enjoying God forever. The unceasing . raptures of de- 
Hght which the Saints derive from this are inconceivable: 
For " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it 
entered into the heart of man, what things God hath 
prepared for them that love him." (i Cor. ii. 9.) Per- 
petually beholding and contemplating God's infinite per- 
fections, the blessed in heaven are incessantly adoring, 
praising, and loving him with all the ardor of their souls, 
and from this they derive continual and unspeakable 
happiness. Their society is that of all the best and 
noblest of God's creatures; all exulting in ecstacies of 

In vi'hat state shall we rise ? What shall be the difference be- 
tween the bodies of the good and those of the wicked ? 

9 



130 TWELFTH ARTICLE. 

delight, and rejoicing in each other's happiness as if it 
were their own. The time of trials and of labors will 
then be at an end : For " God shall wipe away all tears 
from their eyes; and death shall be no more, nor mourn- 
ing, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more; for the 
former things have passed away." (Apoc. xxi. 4.) But 
they will possess and enjoy all that can be desired, and 
they will possess and enjoy it forever; they will live for- 
ever in order to be happy forever. 

IV. And shall not the WICKED also LIVE FOREVER? — They shall 
live and be punished forever IN the flames of hell. 

The wicked will live forever, but only to be eternally 
miserable : " They shall have their portion in the pool 
burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second 
death." (Apoc. xxi. 8.) " And the smoke of their tor- 
ments shall ascend up forever and ever, neither have 
they rest day nor night." (Apoc. xiv. 11.) They are 
doomed to hell, to suffer there all kinds of torments — 
perpetual remorse, bitter and fruitless repentance, always 
dying yet never to die, agonizing in flames, tortured by 
merciless devils, etc. They are separated from God and 
from all that is good, which will afllict them with incon- 
ceivable grief. Their misery is unceasing and eternal, 
and the thought of this eternity is a severe pang to every 
torment which they have to endure. Their doom is 
fixed forever : " Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever- 
lasting fire." (Matt. xxv. 41.) 

Conclusion.— Often think of the torments of hell, 
with the view of escaping them; nothing but sin can 
condemn you to hell; be careful, therefore, to avoid it. 
Considering, on the other hand, the greatness of the 
happiness which is promised to the Saints, be diligent in 
serving God. Strive to " enter in at the narrow gate, 
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to 
destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. But 
how narrow is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth 
to life, and few there are that find it." (Matt. vii. 13, 14.) 

In what state shall the wicked be forever ? 



GOOD WORKS AND GRACE. 131 

Again, our Blessed Lord says : " Strive to enter by the 
narrow gate ; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter 
and shall not be able." (Luke xiii. 24.) It is, then, not 
by merely seeking^ but by striving that you are to enter 
into heaven ; strive, therefore, earnestly : " The kingdom 
of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it 
away." (Matt. xi. 12.) It is only the diligent servant 
that enters into the joys of his Lord, while the slothful 
servant is "cast out into the exterior darkness, where 
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 
XXV. 12, 23, 30.) ^ 

Watch and pray, frequent the Sacraments, resist temp- 
tations, carry your cross with patience, etc., and encour- 
age yourself in all this with the prospect of future glory. 
Think on what so many martyrs have suffered for the 
gaining of eternal happiness; for it is "through many 
tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven." 
(Acts xiv. 21.) Look up to that kingdom and see that 
" the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be 
compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed 
in us." (Rom. viii. 18.) " For that which is at present 
momentary and Hght, of our tribulation, worketh for us 
above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory." 
(2 Cor. iv. 17.) 

What should be our conclusion ? What means should we employ ? 



EXPLANATION 

OF GRACE AND PRAYER. 



Instruction XXIV. 
The Necessity of Good Works and of Grace for Salvation, 

Will faith alone save its? — No; it will not without good works. 

Can we do any good work towards our salvation of ourselves ? — 
No ; we cannot without the help of God's grace. 

HoTd) may we obtain God^s grace ? — By Prayer and the Holy 
Sacraments. 



132 GOOD WORKS AND GRACE. 

I. In the Creed we are instructed in what relates to 
FAITH. We come now to the explanation of what relates 
to HOPE. Faith is necessary in order to be saved, for 
" without faith it is impossible to please God " (Heb. xi. 6) ; 
yet it is not alone sufficient^ for good works are also 
necessary. 

That a man is justified by faith alone is a doctrine 
started by Martin Luther. ^^ Faith alone (he says) is 
necessary for our justification; all other things are com- 
pletely optional, being no longer either commanded or 
forbidden." ("Sola fides necessaria est ut justisimus; 
ccetera omnia liberrima neque praecepta amplius, neque 
prohibita." In Cap, 2, ad GaL) 

The same doctrine is taught by the Protestant Church, 
for the nth of the Thirty-nine Articles says : " Where- 
fore, that a man \% justified by faith only is a most whole- 
some doctrine, and very full of comfort." One might 
think that they who drew up this Article could not have 
read the Epistle to St. James : " What shall it profit, my 
brethren, if a man say he hath faith but hath not works ? 
Shall faith be able to save him ? Do you see that by 
works a man is justified, and not by faith only ? For 
even as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith 
without works is dead." (James ii. 14,24, 26.) We must 
leave Protestants to reconcile their doctrine with that of 
St. James, if they can. 

Luther rejected St. James' Epistle as being unworthy of 
an apostle, calling it " an epistle of straw." This Re- 
former has even gone so far as to say : " A person who 
is baptized cannot (though he would) lose his salvation 
by any sins, however grievous, unless he refuse to believe, 
for no sins can damn him but unbelief alone T (" Nulla 
peccata damnare possunt, nisi sola incredulitas." — De 
Capt. Babyl.^tom^ '2-^fol. 74. Edit. Wittemb.) 

How horrible is the tendency of this doctrine ! How 
it opens the door to every kind of wickedness ! At the 
judgment-seat of Christ our sentence will be attributed 

Is faith necessary ? What is Luther's doctrine ? 



GOOD WORKS AND GRACE. 13i5 

to our having done, or neglected to do, good works; 
therefore we must not oxA^ have faith ^ but we mM^X, prac- 
tice it by doing good works. 

II. But can we do good works of ourselves? 
Of ourselves we can do nothing meritorious of eternal 
life — we cannot " avoid evil and do good" without grace. 
And there are two kinds grace, actual and sanctifying, 

I. What is ACTUAL GRACE? 

It is a supernatural help to " avoid evil and do good; " 
and it operates in the soul by enhghtening us to see what 
is good and what is evil — by inclining us to choose the 
good and reject the evil — and by enabling us to act ac- 
cordingly : " It is God who worketh in you, both to will 
and to accomplish, according to his good will." (Phil.ii. 

13) 

We cannot, by our own natural strength, unassisted 
by grace, do anything towards our salvation. This is a 
most important truth — it is the foundation of Christian 
humility; "Without me (says our Lord) you can do 
nothing." (Johnxv. 5.) Yet grace will not work alone; 
but God requires us to co-operate with his grace : For 
" he who made us without our concurrence (says St. 
Augustine) will not save us without our concurrence." 

Works performed without grace may be good natural 
actions, but not meritorious. For our works can only 
become meritorious through the merits of Christ, and his 
merits cannot be applied to us without grace. 

Does God give to all men sufficient grace ? 

Yes ; and by corresponding with it, it is rendered effica- 
cious, St. Paul says : " To every man is given grace." 
(Eph. iv. 7.) And this is true even oi blinded diwd hardened 
sinners; yet from such God withdraws his special and 
more abundant graces ; then they are in danger of every 
kind of crime — they are in a most alarming state ; but 
God never takes from them the grace oi prayer j by a 
good use of which they may obtain such further graces 
as will enable them to save their souls. If they are lost, 
it is through their own fault. 



134 GOOD WORKS AND GRACE. 

When Providence provides for us admonitions, in- 
structions, opportunities of spiritual reading, etc., these 
are what are called external graces, and they are the 
ordinary occasions on which God gives his internal gid^c^^. 
Therefore attend to them and profit by them, bearing 
always in mind that you must account for them hereafter. 

2. What is SANCTIFYING GRACE? 

It is a supernatural gift, which cleanses the soul, and 
makes it pleasing in the sight of God — it is " the charity 
of God poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." 
(Rom. V. 5.) St. Peter calls it that which makes us 
"partakers of the divine nature." (2 Pet. i. 4.) For as 
iron when heated partakes of the nature of fire, so the 
soul when raised to the state of sanctifying grace receives 
some participation of the divine nature. 

When first we receive this precious gift, we pass from 
the state of sin to the state of grace; hence it is called 
sanctifying grace. 

Its Effects : — i. It destroys all the guilt of mortal sin. 
2. It renders the soul beautiful and pleasing in the eyes 
God. 3. It makes us become temples of the Holy 
Ghost and heirs of heaven. 4. It gives value and merit 
to our good works. 5. It gives us a title to eternal hap- 
piness. 

From all this it is evident that we ought to esteem the 
gift of grace above every thing in this world : " I pre- 
ferred her before kingdoms and thrones; and esteemed 
riches as nothing in comparison to her." (Wisd. vii. 8.) 

Can sanctifying grace be increased, diminished or lost ? 

Yes. 

When we have lost it by sin, what dispositions are necessary for 
recovering it ? 

Faith, Fear, Hope and sincere Repentance, joined 
with Prayer and the Holy Sacraments. 

In the next Instruction I will explain the duty of 
Prayer^ which is the first means of grace. 

What are external and what internal graces ? What are the effects 
of sanctifying grace ? Ought we esteem it ? 



PRAYER. 135 

Instruction XXV. 

Prayer^ Vocal and Mental; the Obligation of Prayer^ and 
the Dispositiofis with which it should be accompanied. 

How may we obtain Gocfs grace '^ — By Prayer and the Holy 
Sacraments. 

What is Prayer^ — It is the raising up of our minds and hearts 
to. God. 

How do we raise up our minds and hearts to God 7 — By thinking 
of God, who is above all, and by offering our affections and desires 
to him. 

Do those pray well who at their prayers do not think of God, or 
of what they say 9 — If their distractions are wilful they do not pray 
well, for such prayers, instead of pleasing God, offend him. 

I. Prayer is "the raising up of pur minds and hearts 
to God," to beg his grace and other blessings, to avert 
the evils, etc. ; it is a conversation with God, and it may 
be either vocal or mentaL 

What is Vocal Prayer? 

It is that in which we use a set form of words ; as, for 
example, when we say the Lord's Prayer or recite any 
of the public Prayers of the Church. 

What is Mental Prayer? 

It is that in which we exercise, ist, our Memory in 
calling to mind some Truth of Religion; 2dly, our Un- 
derstandings in reflecting upon it for the purpose of draw- 
ing therefrom practical conclusions and of exciting corre- 
sponding affections ; 3dly, our Will^ in adoping those 
practical conclusions by passing from mere affections to 
the forming of resolutions, and in pouring forth our 
soul in fervent supplications for grace, that we may be 
enabled to accomplish our resolutions. 

II. Prayer is a most necessary Christian duty, required 
of us by the institution and command of God. We can 
do nothing meritorious without grace. Now, Prayer is 
divinely appointed as the means of obtaining grace : 
''Ask and you shall receive." (John xvi. 24.) "You 
have not because you ask not." (James iv. 2.) 

Is prayer a Christian duty? , ^ 



136 PRAYER. 

How great is the divine goodness in having appointed 
so easy a means of grace as that of Prayer ! — a means 
which leaves us without a possibiHty of excuse for neg- 
lecting it. Yet how many vain excuses are made to 
justify this neglect! 

1. Some say they have no time to pray. But what is 
time given us tor? Is it not. to save our souls? and 
is not salvation our most important business ? and 
besides, cannot you pray at all times, even during your 
work ? 

2. Others imagine they have no convenient ox proper 
place. But is not God present everywhere ? Is there any 
place where you cannot address him ? {Example : The 
Martyrs prayed amidst their torments; the penitent 
thief prayed on the cross, etc.) 

3. Some pretend they know 7tot how to pray. Know 
not how ! But if you were in corporal distress and had a 
promise of relief on condition of asking for it, would you 
excuse yourself by saying : '^ I know not how to ask ? " 
Cannot you say the " Our Father," and " God be mer- 
ciful to me, a sinner ? " etc. 

4. Others excuse themselves on the ground of being 
such great sinners. But this, instead of being an excuse 
for neglecting Prayer, shows that it is the more neces- 
sary for them. It is a means by which they are to ob- 
tain the grace of repentance and of perseverance. 

There can be no excuse sufficient to justify the neglect 
of Prayer. Daniel chose to be cast into the lion's den 
rather than neglect this important duy. (Dan. vi.) 

III. Prayer is a certain means of grace if accompanied 
with proper dispositions. What are the proper disposi- 
tions ? This is a very important point, because it is the 
want of these dispositions that renders our prayers inef- 
fectual. 

I. We must pray with the disposition or desire of re- 
nounci?ig all sinful habits, because these are obstacles to 
grace. 

What excuses are made to justify its neglect? Are there disposi- 
tions that should accompany prayer? What should we renounce ? 



PRAYER. 137 

2. We must pray in the name of Jesus Christ : " If 
you ask the Father any thing in my name^ he will give it 
you." (John xvi. 23.) To pray in his name, we must 
ask for such things as are worthy of Christ; and we 
must ground all the hope of our prayer being heard on 
his infinite merits. Hence, most of the prayers of the 
Church terminate in these or similar words : " Through 
our Lord J^esus Christ^ 

3. We must pray with attention ; for, otherwise, our 
prayers could not be said to be " a raising up ot our 
minds and hearts to God," nor " a conversation with 
him ; " for if the inattention or distractions be wilful, then 
the prayer offends God instead of pleasing him. 

Are all distractions, then, sinful ? 

No ; for we cannot help having distractions sometimes. 
They are not sins when they are not wilful, and in this 
case they do not hinder the effect of our prayer ; but 
when they are wilful they will certainly be laid to our 
charge : *' Ye hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of 
you, saying : This people honoreth me with their lips, 
but their heart is far from me." (Matt. xv. 7, 8.) 

To avoid distractions (such at least as are wilful^ we 
should practice what the Scripture directs : " Before 
prayer prepare thy soul, and be not as a man that tempt- 
eth God" (Eccl. xviii. 23); i. e., cast away all over- 
solicitude about earthly things, place yourselves in the 
presence of God, resolve to pray attentively and reject 
distractions as soon as you perceive them. 

4. We must pray with confidence in the goodness and 
promises of God : ^' Let him ask in faith, nothing 
wavering. . . . Let not that man (who wavereth) think 
he shall receive anything of the Lord." (James i. 6, 7.) 

To animate your confidence, think on the infinite good- 
ness of God, and on his unlimited promises : "All things 
whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing (i. e., having 
confidence), yoM shall receive." (Matt. xxi. 22.) "Beit 

In whose name should we pray ? Is attention required ? Arc 
distractions sinful ? Is confidence required ? 



138 PRAYER. 

done unto you according to your faith " (Matt* ix. 29), 
\, Q,^your co7ifidencey 

5. To our confidence in God we must join an humble 
diffidence in ourselves — we must pray with humility of 
heart ; i. e. we must cast ourselves entirely on the divine 
mercy, acknowledging sincerely that, on account of our 
sins and un worthiness, we deserve not the blessings we 
ask, but severe chastisements. This humble disposition 
is most powerful in inclining God to mercy : " To whom 
shall I have respect but to him that is poor and little, 
and of a contrite heart and that trembleth at my words ? " 
(Is. Ixvi. 2.) "The prayer of him that humbleth him- 
self shall pierce the clouds, and it will not depart till the 
Most High behold." (Eccli. xxxv. 21.) 

6. We must pray with perseverance. We must perse- 
vere in our prayer when God seems not to hear us. 
Christ teaches that *^ we ought always to. pray and not 
to faint." (Luke xviii. i.) Sometimes God grants our 
petition insensibly by little and little; sometimes he de- 
fers that he may grant it afterwards more to our advant- 
age and as a reward of our perseverance : " Know ye 
that the Lord will hear your prayers if you continue with 
perseverance." (Judith iv. 11.) 

Conclusion. — As your wants and miseries cease not 
but with your life, so let your supplications also cease not. 
Endeavor to become truly men of prayer, and then, like 
David, you will soon become also men according to 
God's own heart. (Acts xiii. 22.) You will be enabled 
to pass through all the trials and temptations of 
this life without sin, because the grace of God will be 
with you and his protecting hand will preserve you. 
Though a thousand should fall by your side and 
ten thousand by your right hand, the evil will .not 
be allowed to come near you, because you will '* dwell 
in the aid of the Most High" — you will abide securely 
"under the protection of the God of heaven." (Ps. xc.) 

Is humility required? Is perseverance? What conclusion do 
you draw ? 



THE LORD'S PRAYER. 139 

Instruction XXVI. 
The Lord's Prayer, 

What is the best of all Prayers ? — The Lord's Prayer. 

Who made the Lord^s Prayer? — Christ our Lord. 

Say the Lord^s Prayer, — Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed 
be thy name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be done on earth as it 
is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our 
trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us, and lead us 
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. 

Who is it that is here called Our Father? — God, who made us all, 
and who, by his grace, is the father of all good Christians. 

Why do you say Our Father and not My Fathe^ ? — Because we 
are not to pray for ourselves only, but for all others. 

What do we pray for when we say. Hallowed be thy name? — We 
pray that God may be honored and served by all his creatures. 

What do we pray for zvhen we say. Thy kingdom come ? — We 
pray that God may come and be king in all our hearts by his grace, 
and may bring us all hereafter to his heavenly kingdom. 

What do we pray for when we say. Thy will be done on earth as 
it is in heaven ? — We pray that God would enable us by his grace 
to do his will in all things as the blessed do in heaven. 

What do we pray for when we say. Give us this day our daily 
breads — We pray that God will continually give us all that is neces- 
sary for soul and body. 

What do we pray for when we say. Forgive us our trespasses as 
we forgive them that trespass against us ? — We pray that God would 
forgive us our sins as we forgive others the injuries they do to us. 

What do we pray for when we say. Lead us not into temptation ? 
— We pray that God would give us grace not to yield to temptation. 

What do we pray for when we say, Deliver us from evil? — We 
pray that God would free us from all evil of soul and body in time 
and eternity. 

This prayer, which our Lord has made, is short, that 
all may learn it ; but, though short, it contains all we can 
want or need ask for. It contains acts of the most sub- 
lime virtues, and expresses sentiments of the highest 
perfection. When Christ had explained the manner and 
dispositions in which we should pray, his disciples said 
to him : " Lord, teach us to pray." In compliance with 
their request, he said : " Thus, therefore, shall you pray : 
Our Father who art in heaven, etc. (Matt. vi. 5-13; 
Luke xi. 1-4.) This prayer contains seven petitions, intro- 
duced by the words, ''Our Father who art in heaven,'' 



140 THE LORD'S PRAYER. 

God is our Father, both by creation and by adoption^ 
and we are hereby admonished that we should go to 
him with confidence as children to a good and kind 
father; that we are all brethren, and that we should 
pray for one another as members of the same family : 
•'* Pray for one another that you may be saved.'* (James 
V. i6.) 

First Petition. — What do we pray for when we say : ^^ Hal- 
lowed be thy name ? " 

We pray for the greater honor and glory of God, or 
that we may ^11 praise, love and serve God on account 
of his divine perfections. And in order that we may be 
enabled to do so, we beg in the next petition that he 
would come and establish his kingdom in our hearts. 

Second Petition. — What do we pray for when we say : *'TAy 
kingdom come ? '* 

We pray that God would come into our hearts and 
reign there by his grace; that he would rule all our 
actions and conduct us in the path of virtue, and would 
thus make us true members of his spiritual kingdom here 
on earth as a sure means of bringing us to his eternal 
kingdom in heaven. And in order that we may be 
worthy of that heavenly kingdom, we next pray that we 
may in all things accomphsh his holy will. 

Third Petition. — What do we pray for when we say: ** Thy 
will be done on earth as it is in heaven .^ " 

Considering that in the kingdom of heaven, for which 
we have prayed, its blessed inhabitants always do God's 
will, we pray that we may do the same. The divine will 
should be the rule of our actions : " My meat is to do 
the will of him that sent me." (John iv. 34.) When we 
repeat this petition we should at the same time resolve to 
do what we pray for, and as a means of being enabled 
to do God's holy will, we next pray for a continual sup- 
ply of his graces — for the daily spiritual food of our souls. 

In what sense is God our Father ? 



THE LORD'S PRAYER. 141 

Fourth Petitiqn. — What do we pray for when we say : ^^Give 
us this day our daily bread 9 *' 

We pray for the daily supply of all our wants, both cor- 
poral and spiritual, and thereby we acknowledge our total 
dependence on God. As to corporal wants, we are admon- 
ished to be content with necessaries, and for these to rely 
entirely on Providence : " Be not solicitous for to-morrow." 
(Matt. vi. 34.) " But having food and wherewith to be 
covered, with these we are content." (i Tim. vi. 8.) 
As to spiritual wants, we pray for divine grace as 
being our daily spiritual food, without which the soul 
languishes and dies in sin; we pray for the Blessed 
Eucharist, that "bread of life" (John vi. 48, 52) in which 
we receive Christ himself, who is able to strengthen our 
souls to every good work. But, then, conscience tells 
us we are sinners, and, as such, unworthy of this great 
blessing ; therefore in the next petition we implore for- 
giveness. 

Fifth Petition. — What do we pray for when we say: ''And 
forgive us our tresspasses, as we fat give them that trespass against 
us?'' 

Knowing ourselves to be sinners, subject to daily weak- 
nesses and transgressions — for "in inany things we all 
offend " (James iii. 2) — we pray daily for pardon. The 
petition shows the necessity of our forgiving others, 
Christ having made this forgiveness a condition of our 
obtaining pardon from God : " If you will not forgive 
men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences." 
(Matt, vi, 15.) Having asked the pardon of past sins, 
we pray that we may not fall again. 

Sixth Petition. — What do we pray for when we say: '*And 
lead us not into temptation 9 " 

We beg of God either to preserve us from temptation 
or to support us in time of temptation ; or, in the words 
of St. Paul, we pray that " God would not suffer us to 
be tempted above that which we .are able, but would 
make with temptation issue that we may be able to bear 
it." (i Cor. X. 13.) God does not himself/^;//// 11s to 



142 INVOCATION OF SAINTS. 

sifi^ but he permits us to be tempted for our trial. So 
long as we are living in this world we can never be se- 
cure from temptations, for " the life of man upon earth 
is a warfare." (Job vii. i.) But in this warfare "the 
grace of God is sufficient for us." (2 Cor. xii. 9.) 

Seventh Petition. — What do we pray for when we say : ^^But 
deliver us from evil?^^ 

Having prayed for the pardon of past sins, and that 
we may not fall into them again, we then beg to be de- 
livered from the consequences of sin, viz., from all evils 
of soul and body. But as regards temporal evils, such 
as sickness, losses, famine, distress, etc., we should pray 
in the spirit of resignation : " Not my will, but thine be 
done." (Luke xxii. 42.) Resignation, patient suffering 
and a penitential spirit can convert these evils into real 
good. But the evils from which we principally pray to 
be delivered are the punishments of sin in the next life. 

"Amen." — Having thus prayed for all we can need, 
we confirm our prayer by saying, "Amen, This word is 
called by St. Jerome "the. seal of the Lord's Prayer." 
It means, so be it ; i e.., may God grant these our peti- 
tions. 

Conclusion. — Never let a day pass without saying 
this prayer. The words " this day " and " daily " show 
that it is intended to be said at least every day. Say it, 
then, often; but always attentively, devoutly and slowly, 
so as to enter into the spirit and meaning of it. For if 
you do so, it will be to you a source of many graces and 
blessings. 

Instruction XXVII. 

The invocation of Saints and Angels — They can hear us — 
They pray for us — We may ask them to pray for us. 

May we desire the Saints and Angels to pray for us? — Yes, we 
may. 

How do you prove that the Saints and Angels can hear us ^ — 
'* There shall be joy before the Angels of God over one sinner doing 
penance." (Luke xv. 10.) 



INVOCATION OF SAINTS. 143 

Having addressed ourselves to God in the " Our 
Father^' we are taught next to engage the Saints in our 
favor, that through their intercession we may he heard. 
We beg of the blessed in heaven to join their prayers* 
with ours and to present both to God, because we feel 
conscious that God will hear the7n sooner than us sinners, 

I. But ** how do you prove that the Saints and Angels CAN hear 

us?" 

1. Christ assures us that as the shepherd calls upon 
his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him when he 
has found his lost sheep, " even so there shall be joy in 
heaven upon one sinner that doth penance more than 
upon ninety-nine just who need not penance. . . . There 
shall be joy before the Angels of God upon one sinner 
doing penance.'* (Luke xv. 7, 10.) These words evi- 
dently show that the Angels in heaven kjiow what goes 
on here upon earth ; that they know when a sinner re- 
pents, when he repents sincerely^ and,consequently, that 
ihey ktiow what takes place in a sinner's hearty and there- 
fore they must know when he prays. The same words 
still further show that the Angels not only know when 
we pray, but that they take an interest in our welfare. 
What is here said of the Angels is equally applicable 
to the Saints in heaven, because " the Saints are as the 
Angels of God in heaven " (Matt. xxii. 30) : " For they are 
equal to the Angels." (Luke xx. ^i^,) 

2. Our Lord cautions us against despising or scandal- 
izing those who believe in him on account of their 
Guardian Angels : " See that you despise not one of these 
little ones, for I say to you that their Angels in heaven 
always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." 
(Matt, xviii. 10.) Now, how can we offend the Angels 
by despising or scandalizing the little ones whom they 
have to guard unless the Angels know it ? If they did 
not know it, these words would be without meaning. 

3. In the Revelations made to St. John our Blessed 

Whose intercession may we seek ? Give the second and third 
proofs. What Angels can hear us ? 



144 INVOCATION OF SAINTS. 

Lord says : " He that shall overcome and keep my works 
unto the end, I will give him power over the nations, 
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron." (Apoc. ii. 
26, 27.) Evidently this is spoken oi the Saints — of those 
who have kept Christ's works " unto the emV^ — and there- 
fore it it is spoken of the Saints after they have fijiished 
their mortal life. Now, these must know what passes 
among the nations^ for otherwise how could they be said 
to exercise "power over the nations" and to "rule 
them ? " 

All these Texts clearly prove that the Angels and 
Saints in heaven both know and take an interest in what 
goes on upon earth. 

II. But DO THEY PRAY FOR US? 

Yes; for, 

1. The Archangel Raphael said to Tobias: "When 
thou didst pray with tears, and didst leave thy dinner, 
and didst bury the dead, I offe^-ed thy prayer to the Lord, . . 
For I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven who 
stand before the Lord." (Tobias xii. 12, 15.) 

2. When the Prophet Jeremias, long after his death, 
appeared to Judas Maccabaeus , the Second Book of 
Maccabees says of him ; " This is a lover of his brethren 
and of the people of Israel : this is he ihsit prayeth much 
for the people and for all the holy city, Jeremias the 
prophet of God." (2 Mac. xv. 14.) 

The various sects of Protestants do not receive these 
two books (Tobias and Maccabees) as inspired Scripture ; 
but they do and must regard them as undeniable evidence 
of what was the belief of the Jews (i. e., of the people 
of God) before Christ. But without these Texts we have, 
in what Protestants do receive as the inspired Word of 
God, all the evidence we can need to prove that the 
Angels and Saints do pray in our behalf^ and that God 
receives their prayers. Thus, 

3. The Prophet Zacharias relates the prayer of an 
Angel in heaven for God's people on earth : " And 

How do you prove that the Saints hear us from Jeremias ? 



INVOCATION OF SAINTS. ' 145 

the Angel of the Lord answered and said: O Lord 
of Hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusa- 
lem and on the cities of Juda, with which thou hast been 
angry ? — this is now the seventieth year. And the Lord 
answered the angel that spoke in me good words, com- 
fortable words. . . . Therefore thus saith the Lord : I will 
return to Jerusalem in mercies." (Zach.i. 12, 13,16.) Here, 
then, an angel implored mercy for the people of God and 
obtained it. 

4. The New Testament, also, contains evidence equally 
strong. For in the Book of the Apocalypse it is said : 
^' And I saw seven Angels standing in the presence of 
God. . . . And another Angel came and stood before the 
Altar, having a golden censer, and there was given to 
him much incense that he should offer of the prayers of 
all saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne 
of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of 
the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the 
Angel." (Apoc. viii. 2, 3, 4.) How evident, then, that 
Angels present our petitions to God and join with them 
the incense of their own ! How perfectly does this ac- 
cord with what was revealed to Tobias : " When thou 
didst pray with tears, ... I offered thy prayer to the 
Lord. . . . For I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven 
who stand before the Lord.'' (Tobias xii. 12, 15.) 

5. And of the saints in heaven the same Book says: 
" The four and twenty ancients fell down before the 
Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials 
full of odors, which are the prayers of Saints." (Apoc. 
V. 8, 9.) These four and twenty ancients are Saints in 
heaven, for they say to Christ in the next verse : " Thou 
hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every 
tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation." Now, in 
the above passage, these Saints in heaven are spoken of 
as falling down before Christ in our favor, and also as 
offering our prayers to Him. 

Thus, then, we are taught, both in the Old and New 

How from Zacharias ? How from the New Testament? 
10 



146 * INVOCATION OF SAINTS. 

Testaments, that the Saints and Angels in hesiven pray 
for us who are on earth. 

III. But MAY WE ASK THEM to pray for us? 

Yes, we may. 

Do we not thereby injure the Mediatorship of Christ ? 

No, not in the least degree. 

But does not the Scripture say that there is only one Mediator 
between God and us ? 

The Scripture says : " There is one Mediator between 
God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a 
ransom for alP^ (i Tim. ii. 5); that is to say, there is 
only one who ransomed us — only one who can interpose 
his own merits in our favor ; but this is no reason why 
others may not intercede for us (not indeed by their ow7i 
merits, but) through the infinite merits of Him who ran- 
somed us. St. Paul teaches us that there may be such 
intercessors : " I desire that prayers and intercessions be 
made for all men." (i Tim. ii. i.) It is just the same 
as regards any injury done to the Mediatorship of Christ, 
whether these intercessors be in heaven or on earth at 
the time of their interceding. We expect nothing from 
them except through Christ. 

That we may pray to the Blessed in heaven the Scrip- 
ture plainly shows : 

1. ]2.cob prayed to an Angel, saying: "I will not let 
thee go except thou bless me: .... and he blessed him 
in the same place." (Gen. xxxii. 26, 29.) The prophet 
Osee, relating this event, says : " Jacob prevailed over 
the Angel, and was strengthened; he wept and made 
supplication to him^ (Osee xii. 4.) Here is supplica- 
tion made to an Angel, and a blessing obtained. 

2. Abraham prayed to the Angel who was going to 
destroy Sodom, begging that he would not " slay the 
just with the wicked" (Gen. xviii. 23, 25), and Lot was 
accordingly spared. 

• 3. Lot also prayed to the Angel who conducted him 
out of Sodom, beseeching him to spare the small city of 

Did Jacob pray to an Angel ? Did Abraham ? Did Lot? 



INVOCATION OF SAINTS. 147 

Segor : " And he (the Angel) said to him : Behold also 
in this, I have heard thy prayers not to destroy the city 
for which thou hast spoken." (Gen. xix. 18-22.) In 
both these instances prayers were made to Angels, and 
the petitioners obtained their requests, for Lot was not 
slain with the wicked, and the small city of Segor was 
spared. 

4. Again, when Jacob was on his death-bed, he 
blessed his two grandsons; and, in order to obtain a 
blessing from heaven upon them, he invoked^ not only 
God, but his Guardian Afigel also in their behalf: " God 
that feedeth me from my youth until this day; the Angel 
that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys, and 
let my name be called upon them." (Gen. xlviii. 15, 
16.) Here Jacob not only prayed to God, but, in the 
very same sentence, he implored a blessing from the Angel 
who had been his constant protector. That holy Patri- 
arch would not have done so unless it were lawful ; and 
from the manner in which the Scripture relates it, it is 
plain that he did nothing then but what was good and 
lawful. But, if it was good and lawful y^r him^ is it not 
%o for us? — for us, who (according to St. Paul), in the 
New Law, " are come," not only " to the city of the liv- 
ing God" (the Church), "and to Jesus Christ, the Medi- 
ator of the New Testament," but also " to the company 
of many thousands of Angels, and to the Church of the 
first-born, who are written in the heavens, and to the 
spirits of the just made perfect ^^ (Heb. xii. 22-24), i. e., to 
the Saints. 

After all these proofs from Scripture, that the Angels 
and Saints in \iQ2iYexi pray for us, and that we may ask 
them to do so, one must feel surprised that this doctrine 
has ever been doubted. For is it not most strange that 
Protestants should deny a doctrine for which there is 
such Scriptural evidence ? How their rejection of this 
doctrine shows the force of prejudice ! 

Whom did Jacob invoke on his death-bed? 



148 GUARDIAN ANGEL. 

Instruction XXVIII. 

Our Guardian Angel ; The " Hail Mary'' 

May we desire the Saints and Angels to pray for us? — Yes, we 
may. 

How do you prove that the Saints and Angels can hear us 9 — 
*' There shall be joy before the Angels of God over one sinner doing 
penance." 

JVhat is the prayer to our Blessed Lady which the Church teaches ? 
—The Hail Mary. 

Say the Hail Mary. ^— Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with 
thee ; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy 
womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for. us sinners, 
now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

How many parts are there in the Hail Mary? — Three parts. 

Who made the first two parts? — The Angel Gabriel and St. Eliza- 
beth, inspired by the Holy Ghost ? 

Who made the third part ? — The Church of God, against those 
who denied the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God. 

Why do you say the Hail Mary so often ? — To put us in mind of 
the Son of God being made man for us. 

For what other reason ? — To honor the Blessed Virgin Mother 
of God, and to beg her prayers for us. 

It has been proved from Scripture that the Angels 
and Saints m heaven pray for us, and that we may ask 
them to do so. But, 

I. Is there any one of the Angels whom we should invoke more 

particularly ? 

Yes, OUR Guardian Angel. 

God has given an angel to each of us to be our special 
Guardian : " He hath given his Angels charge over thee, 
to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall 
bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." 
(Ps. xc. IO-I2.) Christ teaches this same truth when 
he says : " See that you despise not one of these little 
ones ; for I say to you that their Angels in heaven al- 
ways see the face of my Father who is in heaven." 
(Matt, xviii. lo.) 

As the wicked Spirits tempt us to evil by their sugges- 
tions, and endeavor to deprive us of happiness, so our 
Guardian Angel directs us to good by inward inspira 

Does the Scripture teach that we have Guardian Angels ? 



THE HAIL MARY. 149 

tions, preserving us from dangers and from many evils : 
" The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them 
that fear him, and shall dehver them." (Ps. xxxiii. 8.) 
Thus, he delivered Judith from being injured by Holo- 
fernes: "As the Lord liveth, his Angel hath been my 
keeper, both going hence and abiding there, and return- 
ing from thence hither." (Judith xiii. 20.) Thus, also, 
he preserved and delivered Daniel in the lion's den 
(Dan. vi. 21, 22); he delivered Peter and other apostles 
out of prison (Acts v. 19; xii. 7-1 1), etc. 

Our Guardian Angel prays particularly for us, and 
presents our petitions to God. We should frequently 
invoke him, we should pay great respect and attention 
to his presence, and we should take care not to do in 
his presence what we would be ashamed to do before 
men : " Behold I will send my Angel, who shall go be- 
fore thee and keep thee in thy journey. . . . Take notice 
of him and hear his voice, and do not think him one to 
be contemned : for he will not forgive when thou hast 
sinnedj and my name is in him." (Exod. xxxiii. 20, 21.) 
How very little is this admonition of the Almighty at- 
tended to ! 

II. Is there any one among the Saints vfhoTCiwQ should ask more 
particularly to intercede for us ? 

Yes, THE Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The Blessed Virgin, being the Mother of God, is above 
all the Angels and Saints ; she is pronounced " blessed 
among women^^ (Luke i. 28), and is to be called ''-blessed'^ 
(Luke 1. 48) by the faithful throughout all generations. 
Christ appointed her as our mother, and us as her 
children^ in the person of St. John: "Behold thy son. 
. . . Behold thy Mother." (John xix. 26, 27.) 

We should frequently implore her intercession. Such 
has been the practice of the Saints — they were remark- 
able for their tender devotion to her; witness, for ex- 
ample, St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure, St. Ignatius, St. 

Against whom and how are we protected by them ? Should we 
respect and invoke them ? 



150 THE HAIL MARY. 

Alphonsus Liguori, etc. The Saints have received many 
and great blessings through her intercession, and so may 
we^ if, Hke them, we will be fervent and devout in im- 
ploring her assistance. Have recourse to her, then, fre- 
quently and fervently, and on all occasions, especially in 
your temptations and spiritual necessities. Ask her to 
obtain your requests, placing the greatest confidence in 
her intercession ; for, if she prays for you, you may rest 
assured that God will grant what she asks. Hence, St. 
Bernard says, that " never hath any one been known to 
have recourse to her protection, implore her aid, or ask 
her intercession, without obtaining relief!" 

The manner in which our Lord granted her request, 
at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, shows the power 
of her intercession: "The wine failing, the Mother of 
Jesus (requesting him to supply some by his divine 
power) saith to him. They have no wine. And Jesus 
saith to her, Woman, what is it to me and to thee? my 
hour is not yet come (for working miracles. But, perse- 
vering in her request), his mother saith to the waiters, 
Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye. Jesus (yielding) 
saith to them. Fill the water-pots with water. And they 
filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them, 
Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the 
feast. And they carried it." And it was found to be 
wine, as the Blessed Virgin had requested. (John ii. i-io.) 
With reason, then, may we say, that, if she intercedes in 
our favor, God will grant her request. 

What is the Prayer to her which the Church teaches ? 

The " Hail Mary," otherwise called " The Angelic 
Salutation y 

" The Angel being come in, said unto her : Hail ! fid) 
of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among 
women." (Luke i. 28) She is thus " blessed," because 
she is gifted with the highest graces and virtues ; and 

Why should we be particularly devout to the Blessed Virgin Mary? 
Were the Saints devout to her ? Does the manner in which our 
Lord granted her request at Cana prove this ? 



COMMANDMENTS IN GENERAL. 151 

because she is chosen for the special privilege of being 
the Mother of God. 

St. Elizabeth, being visited by the Blessed Virgin, said 
to her : " Blessed art thou among women ; and blessed 
is the fruit of thy womb." (Luke i. 42) That is to say, 
of all women thou art the most blessed, because thou art 
to bring forth the world's Redeemer. On account of the 
Son, we honor the Mother: it is on His account that 
" all generations" are to call her blessed. (Luke i. 48.) 

In the third part of the Hail Mary, which has been 
added by the Church, we declare the Blessed Virgin 
Mary to be the " Mother of God^^ against the Nesto- 
rians, who asserted that the Son of God and the Son of 
Mary were two distinct persons. This heresy was con- 
demned in the Third General Council at Ephesus, in 
431. The Blessed Virgin is the Mother of Him who, 
besides being man, is also God; in Christ there is but 
one person^ and she is his Mother: "Whence is this to 
me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me ?" 
(Luke i. 43.) 

In this third part, we also declare ourselves to be 
^^ sinners ;^^ and, as such, we beg her intercession — 
^^now/^ i. e., always at the present time, because we 
always need God's mercy — " and at the hour of our 
death " more especially, because then we stand in more 
need of help, and because all depends on dying well. 

How was each part of the Hail Mary formed? 



EXPLANATION 

OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 



Instruction XXIX. 

FIRST COMMANDMENT. 

The Commandments in General; What the First Com* 
mandment requires^ and what it forbids. 

How many Commandments are there ? — Ten. 
Who gave the Ten Commandments'^ — God himself in the Old 
Law, and Christ confirmed them in the New. 



152 COMMANDMENTS IN GENERAL. 

What is the First Commandments — **I am the Lord thy God, 
who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, and out of the house 
of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Thou 
shalt not make to thyself any graven thing, nor the hkeness of any 
thing that is in heaven above, nor in the earth beneath, nor in the 
waters under the earth ; thou shalt not adore them nor serve them." 

What are we commanded to do by the First Command7nenti — By 
the First Commandment we are commanded to believe in one only 
true and living God, and no more ; to hope in him, to love him, and 
to serve him all our days. 

What is forbidden by the First Commandment 9 — The First Com- 
mandment forbids us to worship false gods or idols, or to give to any 
creature whatsoever the honor which is due to God. 

What else is forbiddejt by this Commandment? — All false reli- 
gions, and dealing with the devil; and then inquiring after things to 
come by fortune-tellers, or superstitious practices. 

What else ? — All charms, spells and heathenish observations of 
omens, dreams and such like fooleries. 

I. The Commandments contain God's law, directing 
what is to be done by us, and what is to be avoided ; 
they are an epitome of our duties toward God, toward 
our neighbor and toward ourselves. 

In the beginning, God impressed upon the heart of 
man a sense of right and wrong, called the light of nature 
— he gave man a conscience. By disregarding the light 
of nature and the voice of conscience, men soon become 
wicked — so wicked as to induce Almighty God to say : 
" I will destroy man whom I have created .... for it 
repenteth me that I have made them .... The earth is 
filled with iniquity through them, and I will destroy them 
with the earth." (Gen. vi. 7, 13) After the Deluge, men 
soon became wicked as before ; so that the earth was 
again " filled with iniquity " — habits of crime silenced, 
in a great measure, the voice of conscience; and, by 
darkening the Hght of nature, almost deadened man's 
sense of right and wrong. As a means of preserving it 
amid the general corruption, God wrote his Law or 
Commandments on two tables of stone. He wrote them 
in the midst of thunder and Hghtning, to signify what 

What are the Commandments ? What did men disregard when 
they became wicked ? How were they punished ? Why did God 
write the Law on tables of stone ? 



FIRST COMMANDMENT— I. 153 

they might expect who should dare to transgress 
them. (Exod. xix. and xx.) In the Gospel these Com- 
mandments are confirmed by Christ. For, when " one 
came and said to him : Good Master, what good shall I 
do that I may have life everlasting ?" Jesus said to him ; 
*'If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments." 
(Matt. xix. 1 6, 17.) 

Men, enslaved to vice, have said it is impossible to- 
keep the Commandments. It is impossible, without the 
help of God's grace; but perfectly possible when we 
have his grace to assist us. Now, his grace will never 
be wanting to those who will take the proper means of 
having it. The words addressed to St. Paul, apply to 
each of us: "My grace is sufficient for thee." (2 Cor. 
xii. 9.) And every one of us may say with that Apostle: 
'* I can do all things in him that strength eneth me." 
(Philip iv. 13.) " God is faithful, who will not suffer you 
to be tempted above that which you are able ; but will 
make also with temptation issue, that you may be able 
to bear it." (i Cor. x. 13.) God requires us to keep his 
Commandments, under pain of eternal condemnation; 
therefore, they are possible^ and also obligatory^ for it 
would be against the attributes of God to command im- 
possibilities and then punish us for not doing the things 
commanded. 

These words, " I am the Lord thy God who brought 
thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of 
bondage " (Exod. xx. 2), are an introduction to the Com- 
mandments. They show that God has a right to com- 
mand us as being " the Lord our GodJ^ and that we 
ought to obey his commands out of gratitude, also for 
what he has done for us as having delivered \xsfrom the 
bofidage of sin and Satan, 

II. The first commandment requires us to worship 
God by Faith, Hope, Charity and Rehgion. 

I. By Faith^ in paying homage to his truth; and this 

Who confirmed them in the Gospel ? Are the Commandments 
possible? Are they obHgatory? These few words, '*I am the 
Lord," etc., what do they show? How do we serve God by Faith? 



154 FIRST COMMANDMENT— I. 

we do when we believe all that he has revealed, and be- 
lieve it upon the authority of his word; i. e., because he 
has revealed it. 

2. By Hope^ in paying homage to his power, goodness 
and fidelity ; and this we do when, acknowledging our own 
insufficiency, we confidently expect all good firom God 
alone through the infinite merits of Christ. 

3. By Charity in paying homage to his infinite per- 
fections, which render him infinitely deserving our love ; 
and this we do when we love God for his own sake above 
all things ; when for his own sake we would rather be de- 
prived of all things — of our pleasure, possessions, health, 
and even life itself — than act against his will. This is 
the most acceptable homage we can give to God, and we 
have examples of it in all the Martyrs. We show that we 
worship God by Charity when we keep his command- 
ments : " If you love me, keep my commandments." 
(John xiv. 15.) " He that keepeth his word (his law) in 
him in very deed the charity of God is perfected, and 
by this we know that we are in him." (i John ii. 5.) 

4. We are required to worship God by the virtue of 
Religion in paying homage to his infinite Majesty and 
supreme dominion over us; and this we do when we 
adore him as our first beginning and our last end, acknowl- 
edging our entire dependence on him; when we offer 
him the tribute of our praise and thanksgiving or address 
our supplications to him; when we give him public and 
external worship (which is of obligation), and especially 
when we celebrate or hear Mass, wherein we offer him a 
complete acknowledgment of his dominion over us and 
of our dependence on him. 

III. I have now explained what the First Command- 
ment requires us to do; but 

What is forbidden by the First Commandment? 

I. Idolatry^ which is giving to a creature the adoration 
or supreme honor which is due to God alone. This is a 

How by Hope? How by Charity? How by Rehgion ? What is 
idolatry ? 



FIRST COMMANDMENT— -I. 155 

grievous crime, directly opposed to the First Command- 
ment. We need only use our common sense to see the 
extreme folly of it. 

2. False Religions^ i.e., such as are different from that 
one which the Apostles established, and which has come 
down from them by a regular succession. 

May we go and join with false religions in their worship? 
No. But suppose the members of those religions 
oblige their servants to go with them to their places of 
worship, 

May a Catholic servant go and join with them ? 
No, certainly not. When servants engage themselves 
to Protestants of any denomination, they should not 
neglect to provide against this evil, and parents should 
be careful to make this provision for their children. A 
Catholic must give up his situation rather than be com- 
pelled to join in a false worship. We cannot join at all 
in religion with the members of an heretical church. 

3. Superstition^ which consists in turning away from 
God to seek help from the devil, in withdrawing from 
God's providence and from the means of help which he 
has ordained, to follow the delusions of the devil by 
using means appointed by him for obtaining something 
which we wish to have; such means, for example, as 
consulting fortune-tellers for the purpose of learning 
what is to happen, beginning harvest, or any other im- 
portant affair, on a particular day of the week for the 
purpose of securing good luck, etc. These and such like 
means are called superstitious practices^ because they have 
no natural connection with the ends to be obtained, and 
have not been instituted by any proper authority to be 
supernatural means of obtaining those ends. To put 
any confidence in omens, charms, dreams, etc., is super- 
stitious and sinful. 

Omens are what superstitious people take to be signs 
of what is to happen^ as certain days being considered 

Is idolatry sinfnl ? What are false religions? What is supersti- 
tion ? Why so called ? What are omens ? 



156 FIRST COMMANDMENT— I. 

lucky or unlucky — spilling the salt on the table being 
looked upon as foretelling some misfortune to the person 
towards whom it falls, etc. What folly it is, as well as 
sin, to place the least confidence in these things! 

Charms and Spells are certain words, sentences or 
things which are kept by superstitious persons di's pre- 
servatives from some particular evils, as charms to prevent 
or cure the toothache, a horse-shoe placed over a door 
to prevent any one from going through that door to do 
any mischief, etc. What gross ignorance ! what weak- 
ness of mind and want of common sense ! 

These follies, and also witchcrafts of every kind, are 
displeasing to Almighty God, and strictly forbidden : " Let 
there not be found among you any one that consulteth 
soothsayers or observeth dreams and omens ; neither let 
there be any wizard, nor charmer, nor any one that con- 
sulteth pythonie spirits or fortune-tellers. ... For the Lord 
abhorreth all these things." (Deut. xviii. 10-12.) "Wiz- 
ards thou shalt not suffer to live." (Exod. xxii. 18.) 

The observance oi dreams, or taking them to be signs 
of what is to happen, is foolish, superstitious and sinful. 
We do indeed read in Scripture of God having some- 
times made known future events in dreams or visions. 
Thus, he showed Joseph his future superiority over his 
brethren in Egypt (Gen. xxxvii. 5-10); he made known 
to Pharaoh the seven years of plenty and the seven of 
famine (Gen. xli. 1-7); he showed Nabuchodonosor a 
statue which represented four kingdoms, to be succeeded 
and broken to pieces by the kingdom of Christ, which 
should stand forever (Dan ii), and " by a vision in the 
night" the king's dream with its interpretation was re- 
vealed to Daniel. (Dan. ii. 19.) These, and suchlike 
dreams, or rather visions, which were either to great saints 
or prophets, or to great public characters and for the 
public good, cannot by any means authorize us to observe 
dreams, since God gives us a general prohibition : "Neither 

Are omens sinful ? What are charms and spells ? Are all these 
displeasing to God? Has God at times sent good dreams to holy 
men ? Is the observance of dreams sinful ? 



FIRST COMMANDMENT— I. 157 

let there be found among you any one that . . . observeth 
dreams. . . . For the Lord abhorreth all these things." 
(Deut. xviii. lo.) How can mere fancies of the brain, 
arising from constitution, from habit of body or from 
previous ideas, be signs of what is to happen ? " Dreams 
have deceived many." (EccH. xxxiv. 7.) . 

4. Sacrilege is also forbidden by the First Command- 
ment. Sacrilege is the abuse or profanation of holy 
persons, holy places, or holy things. 

First, by holy persons are to be VinA^x'$>\.ooA persons con- 
secrated to God, as Priests and the members of Religious 
orders. It is a sacrilegious crime to strike them ma- 
liciously, to violate them, or to treat them with any other 
great irreverence : " Touch not my anointed, and do no 
evil to my prophets." (Ps. civ. 15.) " With all thy soul fear 
the Lord and reverence his Priests." (Eccli. vi. 31.) 

Secondly, by holy places are Ydtsnt places consecrated 
to God, as consecrated churches, burial grounds, etc. 
When these places are pillaged, profaned by heretical 
worship, etc., it is the crime of sacrilege. 

Thirdly, holy things are such as either are consecrated 
to God's service or relate to him in a special manner, as 
a consecrated chalice, the relics of a canonized saint, etc. 
It is a sacrilegious crime to steal these things or to employ 
them in sinful or profane uses, or to receive Sacraments 
unworthily : " They (the laity) shall not touch the vessels 
of the sanctuary lest they die." (Num. iv. 15.) Baltassar, 
king of Babylon, serves as a striking example of the great 
evil of sacrilege. In a feast which he made for his nobles 
he used as drinking cups .the sacred vessels which his 
father, Nabuchodonosor, had taken from the temple of 
Jerusalem. This crime cost him his life, for scarcely had 
he committed the sacrilege when he saw a hand writing 
•his sentence on the wall. (Dan. v.) 

We should cherish in our hearts a great respect for 
Religion, and for whatever is consecrated to God's ser- 
vice or relates more particularly to him. 

What is sacrilege ? Explain the three kinds. 



158 FIRST COMMANDMENT— 11. 

Instruction XXX. 

FIRST COMMANDMENT — CONCLUDED. 

The Lawfulness of Making Images^ of Honoring the An- 
gels and Saints^ afid of Showing Respect to Relics^ 
Crucifixes, and Holy Pictures, 

Does the First Commandment forbid the making of Images ? — 
The First Commandment does not forbid the making of Images, 
but the making of idols ; that is, it forbids making Images to be 
adored or honored as God. 

Does the First Commandment forbid us to give any kind of honor 
to the Saints and Angels? — No; it only forbids us to give them 
that supreme or divine honor which belongs to God alone, but it 
does not forbid us to give them that inferior honor which is due to 
them as the faithful servants and special friends of God. 

And is it allowable to honor Relics^ Crucifixes, and Holy Pic- 
tures? — Yes, with an inferior and relative honor, as they relate to 
Christ and his Saints and are memorials of them. 

May we pray to Relics o? Images? — No, by no means, for they 
have no life nor sense to help us. 

I. When the First Commandment says : " Thou shalt 
not make to thyself any graven thing, nor the hkeness 
of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth 
beneath, or in the waters under the earth ; " these words, 
were we to reason upon them as Protestants do, would 
render it equally unlawful to make any image or picture 
at all, sacred or profane. But that their mode of reason- 
ing is false, is evident from the fact that, after giving 
this Commandment, God said to Moses : " Thou shalt 
make two Cherubim of beaten gold on the two sides of 
the oracle." (Exod. xxv. i8.) And the Lord said to 
Moses : ** Make a brazen serpent and set it up for a 
sign." (Numb. xxi. 8.) According to God's direction, 
Solomon ornamented the Temple with religious images 

or pictures : " He graved Cherubim on the walls 

He made also in the house of the holy of holies two 
Cherubim of image-work, and he overlaid them with 
gold." (2 Par. iii. 7-10.) 

How do Protestants reason on the words of this Command ? Is 
that reasoning correct ? Do the texts of Scripture teach that it is 
lawful to make images and pictures ? 



FIRST COMMANDMENT— II. 159 

These texts evidently show that it is lawful to make 
images or pictures, and to fix them in places of worship. 
The First Commandment, then, does not forbid us to 
make them as pictures and images^ it only forbids us to 
make them as idols, God himself explains the Com- 
mandment in this sense, by saying : " Thou shalt not 
adore them nor serve them." (Exod. xx. 5.) And again: 
" You shall not make gods of silver, nor shall you make 
to yourselves gods of gold.'* (Exod. xx. 23.) Now, 
when we make images and place them in our churches, 
it is not to make gods of them, but it is for the same pur- 
pose as Moses made the Cherubim and placed them on 
each side of the oracle and as Solomon put Cherubim 
of image-work in the Temple. Protestants will not dare 
to charge them with the crime of breaking the First 
Commandment by so doing; then why do they charge 
us with it ? 

II. But do we not break the First Commandment when we honor 
the Saints and Angels ? for does not this Commandment forbid us 
to give any kind of honor to the Saints and Angels ? 

No, for it is lawful and proper to give them that in- 
ferior and relative honor which is due to them as the 
faithful servants and special friends of God, and which 
we would show towards a good and virtuous person on 
earth — we would honor such a person y^?r God's sake. 

The words " honor^^ and ""worship^^ on account of the 
strong prejudices of Protestants, require some explana- 
tion. If we use these words with reference to the Saints, 
we are charged with giving them supreme homage ; but 
the words have only this meaning when they are referred 
to God. For, when referred to creatures, they merely 
mean respect, veneration, great reverence. This used 
to be the common meaning of the word ''worships 
How strange, then, and how unjust it is in Protestants 
to charge us with giving divine honor to the Saints, 
merely because this word has been retained to express 
our veneration; especially as they have retained the 

What the Church does, was it done in the old law ? Explain the 
use of *' honor" and "worship." 



160 FIRST COMMANDMENT— II. 

same word \n tht same sense / For, in their Marriage 
Service, they direct the husband to say to his wife: 
" With my body I thee worships This only means that 
he will show her great respect. Again, they say to the 
Magistrates : " Your worship^^ and they call them " Wor- 
shipfuir Now, we do not charge them with making 
gods of wives and magistrates, on account of using to- 
ward them the word ''•worship ;^' then why do they 
charge us with making gods of the Saints, because we 
use towards them the same word ? 

In order, then, to know what kind of honor is ex- 
pressed by any word, we must consider the intention of 
him who uses it; this may a.nd does give quite a different 
character to the same outward expression. For exam- 
ple, bowing the head, or bending the knee, may be used 
in adoration of God, or as respect to an earthly superior. 
A child, for instance, may kneel and bow to ask pardon 
of God, or of his offended parent : in the first case, it is 
an act of supreme adoration^ and in the second an act of 
filial submission. 

The same external actions or words, then, may ex- 
press (according to the intention) different kinds of 
honor — either that inferior ho?tor due to creatures, or 
that supreme honor due to God alone. 

That this inferior and relative honor may be lawfully 
given to creatures is clear from many passages of Scrip- 
ture, several of which I will quote : 

" And David commanded all the assembly : Bless ye 
the Lord our God. And all the assembly blessed the 
Lord, the God of their fathers ; and they bowed them- 
selves and WORSHIPPED God, and then the king.'' (i 
Chron. xxix. 20.) [The Protesta?it version says: They 
'^ bowed down their heads ^ and 'worshipped the Lord and 
the king.''] Here, civil (relative) honor, and also divine 
honor, are expressed by the very same word " worship'' 
and by the self-same act of bowing. When three angels 

Does the intention give a character to the outward expression ? 
What proof from Scripture have you that inferior and relative honor 
may be given to creatures ? 



FIRST COMMANDMENT— 11. 161 

appeared to Abraham, " as soon as he saw them, he ran 
to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored 
down to the ground." (Gen. xviii. 2.) {The Protestant 
versio7i says : ^* He ran to meet them . . . and bowed him- 
self towards the grounds] Lot gave this same mark of 
honor to two angels (Gen. xix. i), and so did Josue to 
another." (Josue v. 13-15.) 

In objection to all this, it is said that when St. John 
fell at an Angel's feet to worship him, the Angel said : 
" See thou do it not : I am thy fellow-servant, and of 
thy brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Adore 
God." (Apoc. xix. 10.) [According to the Protestant 
version it is, " Worship God'^\ But this text, instead of 
opposing, confirms our doctrine, for \ht pro^ered worship 
was either divine or not: if divine, then the Apostle must 
have taken the Angel to be Christ, for surely we must 
not charge him with offering divine worship knowingly to 
a mere Angel, In this case the passage is not against 
our doctrine, which condemns as idolatry the offering of 
divine worship to angels. But if not divine worship, then 
it could not have been refused as being unlawful. For, 
that honor and worship which it was lawful for Abra- 
ham, Lot, and Josue to give to Angels, and for those 
Angels to receive, could not be unlawful for St. John to 
give, nor for this Angel to receive from him. Why, 
then, did the Angel refuse it ? It was out of humility, 
and of respect for St. John, which he shows by styling 
himself as being merely his "fellow-servant.'^ And be- 
sides, we find St. John offering it a second time, after 
having been thus admonished — which we cannot sup- 
pose he would have done, unless he knew it was right. 
(Apoc. xvii. 8, 9.) 

And, indeed, let each one (whatever be his religion) 
only appeal to his own heart on this subject. Suppose, 
for example, that this Angel who appeared to St. John, 
or St. John himself, or St. Peter, or St. Paul, were to 
appear to you, ought you not, and would you not, show 

What objection is raised ? How do you answer the difficulty? 
II 



162 FIRST COMMANDMENT— II. 

to him, for God's sake, all the honor and respect you 
could (except divine) ? Now, this is all that the Cath- 
olic Church teaches on this subject. 

We may, then, honor the Angels and Saints; but, 

III. Is it allowable to honor Relics, Crucifixes^ and Holy Pic- 
tures? — Yes, with an inferior and relative honor, as they relate to 
Christ and his Saints, and are memorials of them. 

With regard to Relics^ the Council of Trent teaches, 
" That the sacred bodies of the Martyrs and of the other 
Saints . . . are to be held in veneration by the faithful." 
And, with regard to Crucifixes, etc., the Council also 
teaches, "That the Images of Christ, of the Virgin 
Mother of God, and of the other Saints, are to be had, 
and retained, especially in churches, and that due honor 
and veneration are to be given to them, but that this 
honor is referred to the prototypes whom they repre- 
sent." (Cone. Trid., Sess. 25, De Invocatione.) 

Now, if we may and do respect the Temple^ because 
it is dedicated to God's worship ; if we may and do 
respect the Bible^ because it represents to our minds, 
when we read it, the very words spoken by God, why 
may we not respect the Crucifix for the very same reason 
— because // represents also to our minds, when we look 
upon it, the very sufferings endured by Christ for our 
salvation ? In all these and such like cases, it is not the 
mere materials that we respect or venerate, but the 
Temple; the Sacred Volume, the Crucifix, etc., are 
merely the vehicles through which our respect is con- 
veyed to God. 

Do not Protestants do the very same things toward 
the pictures and keepsakes of their deceased parents 
and friends ? and is not this the natural feeling of the 
heart? Why, then, do they condemn us for what they 
themselves do ? 

For let Protestants, in this also, only appeal to their 

What appeal can you make to the heart of any one in this regard? 
What does the Council of Trent teach about relics? What does the 
Council say in regard to images ? Prove this respect from common 
sense. 



SECOND COMMANDMENT. 16S 

own heart. Suppose any of them possessed the body 
of St. Peter, or Paul, or the mantle of Elias, etc., would 
they not preserve it with very great respect, and con- 
sider it as a most precious relic ? If so, then, why con- 
demn us for what they themselves would do ? and for 
what they actually do do toward the keepsakes of their 
departed friends ? 

It has been now shown that our doctrines, on this 
subject, are both reasonable and Scriptural. Protestants, 
then, should take care how they charge us with breaking 
the First Commandment, by honoring the Saints, or 
what relates to them; lest, instead of proving the charge 
against us they bring upon themselves the heavy guilt 
of transgressing that other Commandment which saith : 
*' Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.'* 
/ Exod. XX. 1 6.) 



Instruction XXXI. 

SECOND COMMANDMENT. 

How are we to speak of God — Vows and Oaths : Cursings 
Blaspheming and Frojane Words, 

What is the Second Commandment? — **Thou shalt not take the 
name of the Lord thy God in vain." 

What are we commanded by the Second Commandment 9 — By the 
Second Commandment we are commanded to speak with reverence 
of God and all holy things, and to keep our lawful oaths and vows. 

What is forbidden by the Second Commandment ? — The Second 
Commandment forbids all false, rash, unjust and unnecessary oaths ; 
as also cursing, blaspheming and profane words. 

The Second Commandment is: "Thou shalt not take 
the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will 
not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the 
Lord his God in vain." (Exod. xx. 7.) 

By this Commandment we are commanded to speak 
with reverence of God, and to avoid speaki?ig of him with 

Prove it fVom common condiijct 



164 SECOND COMMANDMENT. 

irreverence. Its object, therefore, is to direct us how we 
are to worship God in our words^ and it is a natural con- 
sequence of the First Commandment; for if we love 
God, and adore and serve him, as that Commandment 
requires, then we shall speak of him with love and 
respect. 

This Second Commandment enjoins the duty of praising 
God; i. e., of extolling his Greatness, his Goodness, his 
Bounty toward us, and his other divine Perfections. 
This is man's noblest employment; it is that which is to 
be continued eternally in heaven. 

II. This Commandment still further requires us to 
respect God's name, by keeping our lawful Oaths and 
Vows. 

1. What is a Vm? 

It is 2. free and deliberate promise made to God, of doing 
somethifig good, with the intention of binding one's self to 
do it. A Vow, in the making of it, is a free act; but, 
when made it is binding under the strictest obligation : 
" When thou hast made a vow to the Lord thy God, 
thou shalt not delay to pay it, because the Lord thy God 
will require it; and if thou delay it shall be reputed to 
thee for a sin." (Deut. xxiii. 21.) "It is much better not 
to vow, than, after a vow, not to perform the things 
promised." (Eccles. v. 4.) It is more meritorious to per- 
form good works by vow, than without a vow, because 
by a vow we sacrifice our liberty to God — we give him, 
not only the fruit, but the tree itself. 

Never make vows of such things as are trivial, much 
less of such as are sinful. A vow to do any thing sinful 
is itself a sin, and such a vow must not be kept. But 
all other vows must be fulfilled, unless, for some reason- 
able cause, a dispensation or commutation be obtained 
from a proper authority. 

2. What is an Oath? 

It is calling on God to witness the truth of what we 
say ; and to punish us if what we say is false. 

What is the object of the Second Commandment ? What duty 
does it enjoin? Should we make vows of things that are trivial ? 



SECOND COMMANDMENT. 165 

Is it lawful to swear or take an oath ? 

Yes, when God's honor, or when our own or neigh- 
bor's just defence requires it: "Thou shalt fear the Lord 
thy God, and thou shalt swear by his name." (Deut. vi. 
13.) An oath is the greatest pledge we can give of the 
truth of our words. \Explain the words ^ " So help me 
God; " i. e., may God send me blessings or punishments^ 
according as my words are true or false. \ 

Three Conditions are neccessary for taking an Oath; 
and they are expressed in the words of Jeremias : " Thou 
shalt swear as the Lord liveth, in truth, and in Judgment, 
and in Justice,'*^ (Jer. iv. 2.) That is to say, the oath 
must be true — it must be taken with mature deliberation, 
and for a good and reasonable cause. We sin against 
the first of these conditions by perjury or false swearing; 
against the second, by rash swearing ; and against the 
third, by unjust or unnecessary swearing. " Swear not at 
all '* (Matt. V. 34.); i. e., do not swear at all in your com- 
mon conversation. It is a sin to take an oath of doing 
any thing unlawful; it is a sin also to observe such an 
oath. \Example : Herod sinned by the oath which he 
took to the daughter of Herodias, that he would give 
whatsoever she should ask ; this oath was both rash and 
unjust, because he knew not what unreasonable or unjust 
thing she might ask. He sinned again, and more griev- 
ously, by keeping the oath — by commanding the head of 
St. John the Baptist to be given to her.] (Mark vi. 2 1-28.) 

Perjury, or false swearing, is a transgression against 
the most essential condition of an oath — viz., against its 
truth. We become guilty pf this: 

First, if we know the oath to be false when we take it ; 

Secondly, if we think it to be false, although it should 
happen to be true; 

Ihirdly, if we are uncertain whether it be true or false; 

Fourthly, if, without a just cause, we refuse to fulfil 
what we have promised upon oath. 

What are the conditions of an oath ? How are they sinned against ? 
Is it sin to take or to keep an unjust oath ? Explain the example 
of Herod. What are the four ways of becoming guilty of perjury ? 



166 SECOND COMMANDMENT. 

Perjury is a very grievous crime — it is a contempt of 
God, and an injury to society ; and yet, how common is 
it in this country ! 

But, as to rash^ unjust and unnecessary oaths, how still 
more common are they! How many people have a 
habit of uttering oaths, without any just reason, on every 
occasion ! These oaths are, for the most part, rash^ and 
therefore sinful; many of them are unjust^ which is 
worse; and all of them are unnecessary. This habit of 
swearing on every occasion is an unedifying, detestable 
and irreligious practice. 

III. But the habit of cursing and blaspheming is even 
more common still. 

1. What is Cursing? 

It is calling down judgment or some evil upon one's self^ 
one's neighbor, or some other creature of God, It is a 
horrible, impious and diabolical practice, for it is imita- 
ting the devil, who is always wishing and seeking to 
bring evils upon us. Persons who are addicted to curs- 
ing, should reflect that their curses fall, not upon those 
against whom they are directed, but upon themselves 
only, and that most heavily. [Example : The Jews pro- 
nounced a curse upon themselves when they said, " His 
blood be upon us and upon our children." (Matt, xxvii. 
25.) And how literally has their curse been executed ! 
for his blood has been upon them !] 

2. What is Blaspheming? 

It is speaking evil of God or of his Saiftts, or speaking of 
them with contempt, or speakiftg contemptuously of the truths 
revealed by God, or of the sacra7?ie?its, or of the Sacrifice of 
the Mass, etc. The mere description of blasphemy can 
not but raise in our minds very serious reflections. For 
what is more common in this country than to hear those 
of other rehgions railing against the Saints, casting slights 
upon the Blessed Virgin Mary, speaking against and 
turning into ridicule those truths which have been taught 

What about rash and unnecessary oaths ? 



SECOND COMMANDMENT. 167 

by the Son of God himself, and those sacred means of 
grace which he has instituted in his Church ! 

For, what horrid blasphemies are uttered against the 
holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrament of the 
Blessed Eucharist! Christ, the Eternal Truth, declares: 
" The bread that I will give is my flesh'' (John vi. 52.) 
" Take ye and eat ; this is my body. . . . Drink ye all of 
this, for this is my blood J' (Matt. xxvi. 26-28.) But in- 
stead 'of believing, they deny his word, for while Jle de- 
clares it is his body and blood, they, setting their own 
private judgment above every other rule, declare it is not. 

But not content with merely denying this truth, they 
make it the subject of ridicule, sarcasm and abuse. Other 
truths are blasphemed in a similar manner. Indeed, 
there is scarcely one doctrine of the true Church of 
Christ which is not misrepresented, abused, reviled and 
scoffed at ! How literally do they fulfil the prophecy of 
St. Peter ; " There shall be among you lying teachers, 
who shall bring in sects of perdition. . . . And many shall 
follow their riotousness through whom the way of truth 
shall be evil spoken of, , , , They fear not to bring in sects, 
blaspheming. . . . But these men, . . . blaspheming those 
things which they know not, shall perish (he says) in their 
corruption." (2 Pet. ii. i, 2, 10, 12.) 

3. What are profane words ? 

They are such words as " the devil^^ " devilish^' hell'* 
'' hellish," etc., introduced into common conversation. 
This is an irreligious way of speaking — it is unbecoming 
a Christian, and gives disedification to others : " Let no 
evil speech proceed from your mouth, but that which is 
good to the edification of faith, that it may administer 
grace to the hearers." (Eph. iv. 29.) 

What blasphemy is common? How is the Blessed Eucharist 
blasphemed ? What are the words of St. Peter ? 



168 THIRD COMMANDMENT. 

Instruction XXXII. 

THIRD COMMANDMENT. 

Its Obligation transferred from Saturday to Sunday — its 
design^ its importance^ the duties it requires from us. 

What is the Third Commandment? — ** Remember that thou keep 
holy the Sabbath day." 

What are we commanded by the Third Commandment? — By the 
Third Commandment we are commanded to spend the Sunday in 
prayer and other reHgious duties. 

What do you mean by religious duties? — Hearing Mass, going to 
the Sacraments and reading good books. 

What is forbidden by this Commandment ? — The Third Command- 
ment forbids all unnecessary servile work and sinful profanation of 
the Lord's day. 

The Third Commandment is : " Remember that thou 
keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days shalt thou labor 
and do all thy works, but on the seventh day is the Sab- 
bath of the Lord thy God; thou shalt do no work on it; 
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, 
nor thy maid-servant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that 
is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made 
heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in 
them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord 
blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." (Exod. xx. 

I. What day of the week is the Seventh or Sabbath day ? 

It is Saturday, 

Then why do we not keep Saturday holy ? 

Because the Church in the Apostles' time transferred 
the obHgation from the seventh to Xh^ first day of the 
week. 

Why was this done ? 

In honor of Jesus Christ, and therefore the first day 
of the week is called " The Lord^s dayT (Apoc. i. lo.) 

It was on the first day of the week (or Sunday) that 
Christ rose from the dead; that he commissioned his 

Recite the full text of the Third Commandment. 



THIRD COMMANDMENT. 169 

Apostles to teach all nations; that he empowered them 
to forgive sins; that he sent down upon them the Holy 
Ghost ; it was on this day that the Apostles began to 
preach the doctrines of Christ and to establish the 
Christian Rehgion. Protestants profess to learn the 
whole of their religion from the Bible ; but where does 
the Bible tell them that the obligation of the Sabbath is 
transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week ? 

^ II. What is the object or design of the Third Commandment ? 

It is this : To determine, by a positive precept, what 
particular portion of our time shall be dedicated specially 
and immediately to God, instead of leaving it to the mere 
natural law which, without such precept, requires that 
we should set apart some portion of our time for his im- 
mediate service. 

To understand this more clearly, it should be observed 
that man's actions are of two kinds: i. Those which 
immediately and specially regard the service of God and 
the care of our soul. 2. Those which regard worldly 
affairs and the care of the body. Now, as the soul and 
eternity are of far more importance than the body and 
mere temporal pursuits, so is the service of God of much 
greater consequence than the seeking of earthly possess- 
ions. All our time belongs to God; yet he is satisfied 
if a portion of it only be devoted immediately and in a 
special manner to his service. But if it were left to our- 
selves to choose this particular portion of time, we should 
be too apt to neglect it by giving to earthly cares that 
time which ought to be given specially to God. There- 
fore, in order to prevent such neglect, God has specified 
and fixed, by a positive command, the time which he 
requires to be thus given to him. Such is the object 
and design of the Third Commandment. 

III. The importance of this precept and the strictness 
of its obligation are indicated by the word " Remember^' 

Who transferred the obhgation from Saturday to Sunday, and 
why? Develop the object of this command from the two kinds of 
actions of men.' 



170 THIRD COMMANDMENT. 

by the great blessings promised to those that keep the 
Sabbath, and by the severe punishments denounced against 
them that shall dare to transgress it : " Thus saith the 
Lord : Blessed is the man that respecteth the Sabbath 

from profaning it They that keep my Sabbaths I will 

give them an everlasting name that shall never perish 

I will make them joyful in my house of prayer, . . . and 
their victims shall please me upon my altars." (Is. Ivi. 

1-7.) "Keep my Sabbath He that shall profane it 

shall be put to death." (Exod. xxxi. 14.) 

IV. The observance of this Commandment requires 
of us two things: i. That we should rest from un- 
necessary servile work. 2. That we should spend the 
time in such exercises as may be said to sanctify the day. 

1. As to resting: All such works are forbidden as are 
servile; i. e., such kinds of bodily w^orks as are commonly 
done by servants, mechanics, tradesmen, etc., for gaining 
a livelihood. 

Is it never lawful to do such works as these ? 

Yes, when they are really necessary, as to provide food 
for the day : " Doth not every one of you, on the Sab- 
bath day, loose his ox or his ass from the manger and 
lead them to water ? " (Luke xiii. 15.) To attend the sick : 
"Love is the^ fulfilment of the law." (Rom. xiii. 10.) 
But nothing should be done on the Sunday which can 
be done beforehand or deferred till another day. 

2. But, when we are commanded to rest from servile 
works on the Sunday we are not to imagine that we may 
spend the day in idleness, nor should we consider it suffi- 
cient merely to hear Mass. We are commanded to keep 
holy the day : " Remember that thou keep holy the Sab- 
bath day." 

To hear Mass is what the Church, by a positive pre- 
cept, obliges us all to do. If we absent ourselves from 
Mass on Sundays, without any necessity, we become 
guilty of mortal sin ; and if we are wilfully absent, or 

Prove the strictness and importance of this precept. What is 
meant by the first thing required : resting from unnecessary servile 
works ? What by exercises that sanctify the Lord's Day ? 



THIRD COMMANDMENT. 171 

wilfully distracted during any part of it we render our- 
selves guilty of sin more or less. If any person be hin- 
dered by necessity, or some sufficient cause, from attend- 
ing, he does not sin by not hearing Mass ; but he should 
not neglect to pray at home. It is with good reason 
that the Church obliges all her children to be present at 
this holy Sacrifice, because hearing Mass is the best 
means we have of sanctifying the Sunday. 

The Vespers or Afternoon Service should also be at- 
tended, unless persons be excused by great distance or 
by some other great inconvenience ; and, in these cases, 
they should say prayers at home. But such persons as 
live near, and yet are in the habit of neglecting on the 
Sunday afternoons, what can be thought of them, except 
that they are slothful or indifferent ? Are they not of 
the number of those of whom God says : " I know thy 
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot ; I would that 
thou wert either cold or hot ; but, because thou art luke- 
warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit 
thee out of my mouth." (Apoc. iii. 15, 16.) It is by 
serving God diligently and devoutly on Sundays that 
you draw down a store of graces for the rest of the week. 

Salvation is your most important affair — the only affair 
of j^<f^/ importance; unless you succeed in it you must be 
miserable forever. But can you expect to succeed in it 
without taking the necessary pains ? 

If you only hear Mass on the Sunday morning can you say you 
have consecrated the day to God's service ? 

St. Gregory says: " We rest from worldly employment 
in order to pray." St. Peter Damian also says: '^ He 
only celebrates the Sabbath properly who so rests from 
worldly occupations as to spend the time in spiritual 
OCCUPATIONS." The Council of Tours and of Aix-la- 
Chapelle teach that, besides hearing Mass, we are to 
spend the day in serving God — this, at least, is the spirit 
of the Commandment. 

For, though the Afternoon Service is not expressly 

Should Vespers be attended ? 



172 THIRD COMMANDMENT. 

and explicitly commanded, does not the spirit of the law 
require it ? Is not this the proper means of sanctifying 
the second part oi the day, as hearing Mass is the means 
of sanctifying tht Jirst part ? The Church does not 
indeed command, but she strenuously exhorts all her 
children to attend at her public services. The Catechism 
of the Council of Trent, enumerating what religious 
duties are to be done on Sundays and Holydays, gives 
these heads: i,'' To assist at Mass /^ 2, " To freqiient 
the Sacraments /^ 3, '''To confess one's sins /^ 4, "To 
receive the Holy Eucharist;'^ 5, '^ To hear sermons ;'' 6, 
(Besides the works of piety already mentioned), '' 2o 
supplicate a7id praise God/^ (or, as the same Catechism 
explains it : " The faithful ought also to be diligent in 
attending to other prayers and divine praises f' ) and, 7, 
" To be present at the Catechetical Instructions, '^ [" Agenda 
diebus Festis : Missae interesse ; Sacramenta frequentare ; 
Peccata confiteri; Eucharistiam percipere; Conciones 
audire; Orare Deum et laudare (Excitatio item, atque 
studium Fidelium in precibus divinisque laudibus fre- 
quens esse debet); Catechismis interesse." — Cat, Cone. 
Trid,ypart, 3, cap. 4, De Tertio Prcecepto DecaL, n. 35.] 
They who are negligent in this point must answer for the 
effects of their example on others. Such persons should 
consider the example of the first Christians, who not 
only spent the first day of the week in God's service, but 
attended the public Prayers every day, spending therein 
a great part of the day, for the Services of the Church 
were much longer in those days. Absence was looked 
upon by them as great neghgence. 

Remember, \kidX public prayers, offered in the name of 
the Church, and by the Ministers of the Church, are 
more effectual than mere private devotions. Go, then, 
and unite your voice with the rest of the Faithful and 
with the whole Church. Let not trifling inconveniences 
hinder you from doing so. 

How does the Catechism of the Council of Trent enumerate these 
religious duties ? Are public prayers effectual ? Should we read 
pious books ? 



FOURTH COMMANDiMENT— I. 173 

You should also spend some time in reading and re- 
flecting on the great truths of ReUgion, such as Death, 
Eternity, etc. 

An exercise of piety very proper for sanctifying the 
Sundays is, to prepare for and receive the Holy Sacra- 
ments. Almighty God says : " You shall afflict your 
souls on that day" (Levit. xxiii. 29); i. e., you shall ex- 
amine your consciences, lament your sins, and take the 
means of obtaining pardon, and of persevering after- 
ward in grace. 

[ What is here said with reference to Sundays applies 
equally to Days of Obligation, \ 



Instruction XXXIII. 

FOURTH COMMANDMENT. 

The Obligation of Children to be dutiful to their Parents ; 
the Duties which this Obligation requires from them. 

What is the Fourth Commandment? — ** Honor thy Father and 
thy Mother." 

What are we commanded by the Fourth Commandment? — By the 
Fourth Commandment we are commanded to love, honor and obey 
our parents in all that is not sin. 

Are we commanded to obey only our father and mother? — We are 
commanded to obey not only our father and mother, but also our 
bishops, pastors, magistrates and masters. 

What is forbidden by the Fourth Commandment ? — The Fourth 
Commandment forbids all contempt, stubbornness and disobedience 
to our lawful superiors. 

The Fourth Commandment is : " Honor thy father 
and thy mother, that thou mayst be long-lived upon the 
land which the Lord thy God will give thee." (Exod. 
XX. 12.) 

This Commandment teaches the mutual duties of 
children toward their parents, and of parents toward 
their children; and also the duties of all inferiors to- 

What does the Fourth Commandment teach ? 



174 FOURTH COMMANDMENT— I. 

ward their superiors, and of superiors toward their in- 
feriors. 

I. The OBLIGATION of Children to be dutiful to their 
parents. 

Are Children obliged to honor and obey their Parents ? 

Yes, they are. 
Whence arises this obligation ? 

It arises — 

Firsts From the positive Law of God — from his ex- 
press command, and, therefore, obedience to parents is 
obedience to God ; 

Secondly^ From the natural Law, which is also very 
clear on this point; 

Thirdly^ From gratitude toward parents. For what 
labors, inconveniences, anxieties and sufferings do not 
parents undergo for their children ! 

Fourthly^ From necessity; for dutifulness to parents 
is a necessary means, not only of obtaining the blessings 
promised by God to dutiful children, but also of escap- 
ing the judgments denounced against those who are un- 
dutiful. Almighty God promises, saying : " He that 
honoreth his mother is as one that layeth up a treasure ; 
he that honoreth his father shall have joy in his own 
children, and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.'* 
(Eccli. iii. 5, 6.) But, on the other hand, he says: 
" Cursed be he that honoreth not his father and mother." 
(Deut. xxvii. 16.) "Children (says St. Paul), obey your 
parents in the Lord, for this is just — Honor thy father and 
thy mother ; which is the first commandment with a 
promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst be 
long-lived upon earth, ^^ ( Eph. vi. i, 2, 3.) 

IL The DUTIES which children owe to their parents. 
Children, then, are under strict obligation of being duti- 
ful to their parents; but what are the particular duties 
which this obligation requires from them ? They are 
these : To love their parents^ to honor them^ and to obey 
them, 

I. We must LOVE our parents. We are commanded 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT— I. Ho 

to love all persons; how much more, then, our parents? 
We are bound to love God as our Creator, from whom 
we have received our being, as our constant protector by 
whom we are preserved from evils, and as our bountiful 
provider, from whom we derive all that we have. 
Now, in all these characters our parents represent God 
in our regard, and consequently we should love them 
most after God. We are bound to love our parents 
sincerely — with real affection — wishing them well from 
our hearts. If our love be of this character it will show 
itself outwardly in our words and actions, and in our 
whole conduct towards them. It will lead us to pray 
for them, and it will make us ready, on all occasions, to 
assist them in their necessities, both corporal and spiritual. 

To act contrary to this love is grievously sinful. Of 
this sin we become guilty : 

Firsts If we entertain feelings of hatred or dislike to- 
wards our parents. It is a sin to hate any o?ie, how much 
more, then, to hate our parents. 

Secondly^ If we show this dislike by curses, or any 
other injurious language which increases the guilt. 
Against such as treat their parents in this manner God 
pronounces the severest judgment : " He that curseth his 
father and mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst 
of darkness; " i. e., " he shall die in his sins." (Prov. xx. 20.) 

TJiirdly^ If we strike them, which makes the matter 
still worse. He is a most unnatural child who lifts up 
his hand against them who gave him birth. 

Fourthly ^ If we refuse or neglect to relieve them in 
their necessities, it is a proof that there is a want not 
only of love, but also of gratitude. 

2. We must HONOR and respect our parents. We 
should have and should cherish a heartfelt esteem for 
them, and we must not allow their condition in hfe to 
interfere with this duty ; for, whatever may be their pov- 
erty or infirmities, they are still our parents, and there- 
Mention the four ways we could be guilty of failing grievously in 
the love we owe our parents. 



176 FOURTH COMMANDMENT— I. 

fore demand our honor and respect. And as our love 
should show itself in our outward conduct, so hkewise 
should the respect ^\i\Q\i we owe them \ for we should honor 
them in our words and in our behavior towards them, 
and we should take every opportunity of showing our 
respect. 

We sin against this duty of honoring our parents, 

First^ If w<e reproach, or mock them, or give them any 
kind of ill language; 

Secondly^ If we speak to them in a hasty, harsh or 
passionate manner ; or if we give them short and sharp 
answers, or contradict them in an abrupt manner, vexing 
and irritating them by such undutiful behavior, especially 
in the presence of others ; 

Thirdly^ If we make known their weaknesses and de- 
fects instead of concealing them, or if in any way we 
expose them to contempt or ridicule ; 

Fourthly^ If we refuse to consult them in affairs of 
great importance. 

3. We must OBEY our parents. This is a duty that 
God strictly commands, and the observance of it is very 
pleasing to him : "Children, obey your parents in all things, 
for this is well pleasing to the Lord." (Coloss. iii. 20.) 

In order to comply with this duty of obedience to 
parents, 

First, We must do what they command, and avoid 
what they forbid; 

Secondly, We must do this readily and in a pleasant 
manner^without seeking needless excuses or delays, 
without murmuring or disputing the point, without show- 
ing opposition or stubbornness ; for all such resistance is 
opposed to that dutiful obedience which children owe to 
their parents ; 

Thirdly y'^t must also receive correction from them 
patiently and with filial submission, acknowledging our 
fault, asking pardon and promising amendment; 

Should we honor and respect our parents ? What are the four 
ways we may violate this duty? Should we obey our parents? 
What must we do to comply with this duty ? 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT— II. 177 

Fourthly^ When children are sent to school, they 
should consider their teachers as holding the place of 
parents in their regard, and consequently they should 
treat their teachers with respect, obeying them as they 
would their parents; they should strive to learn and 
avoid giving unnecessary trouble; they should receive 
correction at school with the same submission as they 
should receive it from their parents. 

If children would duly comply with all these duties 
towards parents as the Fourth Commandment requires, 
what a happiness it would be for both ! How pleasing it 
would be to God, and how meritorious in his sight ! 



Instruction XXXIV. 

FOURTH COMMANDMENT — CONTINUED. 

Duties of Parents towards their Children, 

What is the Fourth Commandment? — " Honor thy father and thy 
mother." 

What are we commanded by the Fourth Commandment ? — By the 
Fourth Commandment we are commanded to love, honor and obey 
our parents in all that is not sin. 

And what is the duty of Parents and other superiors? — To take 
proper care of all under their charge, and to bring their children up 
in the fear of God. 

The Fourth Commandment not only requires children 
to be dutiful to their parents (as was explained in the last 
Instruction), but it also requires J>arents to discharge the 
duties which they owe towards their children. 

Of these duties, some regard the body and the tem- 
poral welfare of their children. About these, parents are 
generally too solicitous, so that it is unnecessary to enforce 
them. But there are others which regard their children's 
soul and their eternal welfare. These are of the strictest 
obligation and of the utmost consequence. The happi- 
ness of parents and of their children, both here and 

Which are the twofold duties of parents ? Which are more strict? 

12 



178 FOURTH COMMANDMENT—II. 

hereafter, depends very much upon them, and therefore 
parents should be careful both to learn what those duties 
are, and also to discharge them faithfully. 

I. The first thing which parents should attend to is, 
to regulate aright their love for their children : very much 
depends upon this. Their natural love for their children 
too often degenerates into a passionate fondness, which 
is ruinous both to parent and child. 

How may parents know whether they are too fond of their 
children ? 

They may know it by these signs : 

1. If they are blind to their children's faults and dis- 
pleased when they are told of them. This is a pretty 
sure sign that they are too fond of their children. 

2. If they cannot bear to hear them cry, and so can 
not use proper correction, nor refuse what they ask lest 
they should cry. 

3. If, in consequence of thus neglecting correction, 
they have allowed them to become headstrong, so that, 
instead of having proper authority over their children, 
the children have authority over them ; not bearing to 
be denied anything which they want, they must have 
their own will, and they manage to have it hy forcing 
their fond parents to yield. 

4. If they allow their children to be guilty of great 
rudeness in their presence, and overlook in their own 
what they condemn in other children. 

These are signs that parents are too fond of their 
children. 

The consequences of this over-fondness are most 
ruinous. For, \st^ it makes children obstinate and stub- 
born — they soon get to such a state that they must and 
will have their own way ; 2^/v,. it renders it difficult to 
send them to school, and when they are there they will 
not receive correction, for, when correction is attempted, 
they become obstinate, refuse to learn, and when asked 

What should parents first attend to ? What are the signs of over • 
fondness in parents ? What are the consequences of over-fondness ? 



FOURTH COMMANDMEiNT— II. 179 

a question will not speak; 3^/^, but the most lamentable 
consequence of all is, that their vices and passions be- 
come ungovernable, so that they grow up in habits of 
sin. 

Therefore, parents, must regulate their natural love of 
their children. But how are they to do it — ^by what 
rule ? They are to regulate it by a supernatural love — 
by the love of charity — by that love which religion 
teaches. 

Now, religion teaches parents to love their children's 
souls more than their bodies — to be more solicito^is for 
their eternal than for their temporal welfare. Conse- 
quently, knowing that their children are commanded^ un- 
der pain of sin, to obey^ they will, if actuated by a true 
Christian love for them, make them obey ; it is the duty 
of parents to do so, and a very important duty. 

In order to act in accordance with that love which religion teaches, 
what rule should parents follow in the treatment of their children? 

1. They must have every order obeyed, cry or not 
cry, and in this they must h^firm 2^x1^ persevering. Thus 
they will teach their children proper obedience. 

2. When they see a child impatient to have any par- 
ticular thing, they should mortify that impatience. Thus 
they will teach their children to be submissive instead of 
self-willed. 

3. When they give a child any thing they should re- 
quire to be thanked for it as for a favor. Thus they will 
teach their children filial love and gratitude. 

4. When any one of their children does what is evil, 
parents should never laugh at it, but always show dis- 
pleasure. Thus they will teach them a general horror 
of sin and a love of virtue. 

5. They must correct their children whenever circum- 
stances require it. But in doing this they should try 
the easiest and mildest means first; for instance, they 
should show their displeasure, advise, threaten, and, if 
all this be not sufficient, then they should inflict some 

How must parents regulate their love? 



180 FOURTH COMMANDMENT— II. 

kind of chastisement. But they should first take the 
child aside and show the evil that has been done and 
why the punishment is inflicted. When children do evil, 
parents should never allow it to pass without some kind 
of correction : " Bow down his neck while he is young, 
and beat his sides while he is a child, lest he grow stub- 
born and regard thee not ; and so be a sorrow of heart 
to thee.'* (EccH. xxx. 12.) Correction ought never to be 
given in a passion, nor harshly, which breaks a child's 
spirit. When one parent is correcting a child, the other 
should never interfere by excusing the child or blaming 
the correction. 

II. Besides the duties already explained, there are also 
others which are of a most important character and of 
serious obligation, and for the neglecting of which pa- 
rents will have much to answer for. And they are these : 
To instruct their children, to give them good example, 
to watch over them, to pray for them. 

1. Parents must instruct their children : " Hast thou 
children ? Instruct them and bow down their neck from 
their childhood." (Eccli. vii. 25.) They should teach 
them their prayers and catechism, how to hear Mass, 
and how to prepare for Confession and Communion, to 
love God, and, for his sake, to love virtue and hate sin. 
The mother of St. Louis IX. used to say to him : 
" Though I love you most tenderly, yet, my son, I would 
rather see you dead before me. than guilty of a mortal 
sin !" Parents are obliged to prepare their children for 
the instructions of their pastor, and to send them to him 
at the appointed times. 

2. Parents must set their children good example; 
the best instructions are but of little use if they who 
give them set bad example. Children have a natural 
tendency to follow example, especially that of their pa- 
rents. \Example : the descendants of Cain were wicked 
Uke himself, while those of Seth were good.) The ex- 
Should one parent interfere when the other is correcting? Must 

parents give instruction? Must they give good example? 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT— III. 181 

perience of all past ages shows the importance and ne- 
cessity of good example in parents. 

3. Parents must watch over their children, as the 
shepherd does over a young flock ; they must see that 
they perform their Christian duties; they must keep 
them from evil, from bad company and from all other 
occasions of sin; they must not allow them to run out 
at nights where they please, but keep them in. 

4. Parents must pray for their children, in order 
to draw down upon them the divine blessing, for " unless 
the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build 
it ; unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain 
that keepeth it." (Ps. cxxvi. i.) As Job offered sacrifices 
daily for his children (Job. i. 5), so should all parents 
let them share in their daily prayers; and whenever 
they assist at Mass they should then especially com- 
mend them to God, imploring for them his grace and 
protection. 

If parents would but faithfully discharge all these du- 
ties toward their children, the world would soon become 
very different from what it is at present. Instead of 
being overrun with vice, as it is, it would soon become 
a world of saints! 

Must they watch over them ? Must they pray for them ? 



Instruction XXXV. 

FOURTH COMMANDMENT — CONCLUDED. 

The Duties of Servants and Masters toward each other ; 
of Subjects toward the Civil Power ; and of the People 
toward their Pastors, 

What is the Fourth Commandment? — ** Honor thy Father and 
thy Mother." 

What are we commanded by the Fourth Commandment? — By the 
Fourth Commandment we are commanded to love, honor and obey 
our parents in all that is not sin. 

Are we commanded to obey only our Father and Mother 9 — We 



182 FOURTH COMMANDMENT— III. 

are commanded to obey not only our father and mother, but also our 
bishops, pastors, magistrates and masters. 

What is forbidden by the Fourth Commandment? — The Fourth 
Commandment forbids all contempt, stubbornness and disobedience 
to our lawful superiors. 

And what is the duty of Patents and other Superiors ? — To take 
proper care of all under their charge, and to bring their children 
up in the fear of God. 

Is it the duty of the faithful to contribute, according to each one^s 
ability^ toward the support oj their Pastors 9 — Yes ; for it is just, and 
agreeable to the spirit of the Old and New Testaments, and to the 
practice of the Christian Church, that the faithful should contribute 
to the temporal support of those from whose ministry they receive 
spiritual blessings. — See I Cor. ix. 

The Fourth Commandment obUges children to be du- 
tiful \o their parents, and it requires parents to take pro- 
per care of their children by a due discharge of those 
important duties which they owe toward them. So far 
this commandment has been explained. 

I will now proceed to explain the duties of servants 
and masters toward each other, of subjects toward the 
civil power, and of the faithful toward their pastors. 

I. What, then, are the Duties of Servants toward their 
masters ? • 

1. They must hejus^ 2.\\^ faithful to them. The master 
entrusts his goods and works to the care of his servants, 
now, they are unfaithful to this trust and become guilty 
before God, i^/, if they wrong their master in his goods, 
by taking them for their own use, or by giving them to 
others, or by carelessly injuring, wasting or destroying 
them ; 2dly^ if they suffer others to do so without taking 
such means as are in their power to prevent them — for, 
the duty oi fidelity obliges them to protect their master 
from these injustices when they can, either by telling him 
or by admonishing the delinquent, or in such other way 
as prudence shall suggest; 3^/v, if they neglect their 
work, or do it in a bad and insufficient manner, or if 
they idle away the time for which they are paid, or if 
they encourage others to do these things. 

2. They must be obedient to their masters : "Servants, 
be obedient to them that are vour masters, .... not 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT— III. 183 

serving to the eye as it were pleasing men, but doing the 
will of God from the heart" (^Eph. vi. 5, 6); and "not 
gainsaying." (Tit. ii 9.) 

3. They must show respect to their masters : " Whoso- 
ever are servants under the yoke let them count their 
masters worthy of all honor, lest the name of the Lord 
and his doctrine be blasphemed." (i Tim. vi. i.) They 
should show this respect in their conduct, with reference 
to their master, whether he be present or absent. They 
should not expose his faults, as many do, nor betray 
family secrets, as they so often do, when they get into a 
new situation. 

As xtgdixdiS fellow-servants, besides these duties which 
they owe toward their masters, there are certain mutual 
duties which they owe toward each other. For they 
should strive to live together in peace and good will, and 
therefore they should never say or do anything that 
would breed discord or misunderstanding between each 
other or between them and their master : " The tale- 
bearer shall defile his own soul and shall be hated by 
all." (Eccli. xxi. 31.) "Refrain from strife and thou 
shalt diminish thy sins." (Eccli. xxviii. 10.) It would 
contribute much to this peace and good will if fellow- 
servants would be always ready to assist one another in 
what they have to do, for how frequently does the want 
of this cause quarrels and disputes among them : " Bear 
ye one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfil the law 
of Christ." (Gal. vi. 2.) 

II. What are the Duties of Masters toward their Servants ? 

1. Masters should consider that their authority comes 
from God: " For there is no power but from God." 
(Rom. xiii. i.) They should take care, therefore, how 
they use their authority, because they will have to render 
a strict account of it immediately after death. 

2. They should consider that, like their servants, they 
are also servants of God : "Both you and they have a 
Master in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with 

What are their duties to their fellow-servants ? 



184 FOURTH COMMANDMENT— III. 

Him." (Eph. vi. 9.) Hence, considering themselves as 
fellow-servants of God, they should • act toward their 
servants with humility and brotherly love : " The princes 
of the Gentiles lord it over them ; ... it shall not be so 
among you." (Matt. xx. 25, 26.) 

3. They should act toward them with mildness and 
fellow-feeling : " Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying 
them of thy household and oppressing them that are 
under thee." (Eccli. iv. 35.) How generally is this di- 
vine admonition disregarded ! 

4. They should treat their servants with justice: 
" Masters, do to your servants that which is just and 
equal, knowing thsit you also have a Master in heaven." 
(Col. iv. I.) 

5. They should behave toward them wit/i gratitude : 
" If thou hast a faithful servant, let him be to thee as 
thy own soul; treat him as a brother." (EccH. xxxiii. 31.) 

6. They should allow them time on Sundays and holy- 
days for the service of God, for assisting at Mass, for 
receiving the Sacraments, for getting instructed, etc. 
Masters should bear in mind that God has a prior right 
to man's service on the days dedicated to him, and con- 
sequently that to deprive their servants of time for the 
divine service on those days is to deprive God of his 
right. 

7. They should look to the conduct of their servants, 
taking care not to expose them to occasions of sin, and 
endeavoring to make them do their duty; and for this 
purpose they should set them good examples : " If any 
man have not care of his own, and especially those of 
his house, he hath denied the faith and is become worse 
than an infidel." (i Tim. v. 8.) 

III. What are the Duties of Subjects toward the Laws and 
national Rulers ? 

They are respect and obedience. We must show respect 
and submission toward those whom the country has 
placed in authority over us, and we must respect and 
obey the laws of the land unless we are commanded 



FOURTH COMMANDMENT—HI. 185 

what is sinful : " Let every soul be subject to the higher 
powers, for there is no power but from God, and 
those that are, are ordained by God ; therefore, 
he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of 
God. And they that resist purchase to themselves 
damnation." (Rom. xiii. i, 2.) 

IV. What are the Duties of the Faithful toward their 
Pastors ? 

1. To honor and respect their pastors as "the Minis- 
ters of Christ and the Dispensers of the mysteries of 
God." (i Cor. iv. i.) "With all thy soul fear God and 
reverence his priests." (Eccli. vii. 31.) " He that despis- 
eth you despiseth me." (Luke x. 16.) 

2. To obey them in spiritual matters: " He that hear- 
eth you heareth me." (Luke x, 16.) " Obey your Pre- 
lates and be subject to them; for they watch as being 
to render an account of your souls that they may do this 
with joy and not with grief." (Heb. xiii. 17.) 

3. To contribute to their temporal support : " For (as 
the Catechism teaches) it is just. and agreeable to the 
spirit of the Old and New Testaments and to the prac- 
tice of the Christian Church that the Faithful should 
contribute to the temporal support of those from whose 
ministry they receive spiritual blessings." 

Firsts That it is just is evident when we consider 
what a pastor is. He is one chosen by divine Providence 
to attend to the immediate service of God and to the 
care of souls committed to him. His duties are many 
and weighty^ and of great responsibility. He has to 
offer prayers for them daily and Sacrifice frequently ; to 
administer the Sacraments to his people and to instruct 
them diligently; to console the afflicted, to attend the 
sick (frequently at the hazard ot his life), to be ready at 
all times, night or day, to answer the calls of his flock, 
and, that he may have no earthly cares to draw him off 
from these duties, he is forbidden to marry or to engage in 
worldly business. 

How do you show that it is just that the Faithful should support 
their pastors ? 



186 FOURTH COMMANDMENT— III. 

Now, when a person thus dedicates himself to the 
special service of the people, how is he to live ? To whom 
must he look for support? Is it not "just that the 
Faithful should contribute to the temporal support of 
those from whose ministry they receive spiritual bless- 
ings " and who dedicate their whole lives to their spirit- 
ual good? "Let him that is instructed in the Word 
communicate to him that instructeth him in all good 
things." (Gal. vi. 6.) For Christ says on this subject: 
" The laborer is worthy of his hire." (Luke x. 7.) 

Secondly^ That it is '^ agreeable to the spirit of the Old 
Testament ^^ is evident from the fact of God having 
chosen the tribe of Levi for the work of the ministry, 
and expressly commanded the other tribes to maintain 
them. And on this account, in the division of the 
promised land, no share was given to the tribe of Levi. 

Thirdly, That it is ''agreeable to the spirit of the New 
Testament " also, as well as of the Old, is evident from 
the 9th Chapter of the ist Epistle of St. Paul to the 
Corinthians, wherein that Apostle strongly enforces this 
duty on the Faithful. 

As a great part of that chapter is on this subject, I 
will quote it to you : 

I Corinthians, chapter ix. 

I . Am not I an Apostle ? Are not you my work in the Lord ? . . . 
4. Have not we power to eat and drink ? . . . 

7. Who serveth as a soldier at any time at his own charges ? Who 
planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feed- 
eth the flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 

8. Speak I these things according to man ? Or doth not the law 
also say these things ? 

9. For it is written in the law of Moses : Thoti shall not muzzle 
the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care 
for oxen? 

10. Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes ? For these things 
are written for our sakes, that he that plougheth should plough in 
hope, and he that thresheth in hope to receive fruit. 

II. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter 
if we reap your carnal things ? 

Show that it is agreeable to the spirit of the Old Testament, and 
of the New Testament ? 



FIFTH COMMANDMENT. 187 

12. If Others be partakers of this power over you, why not we 
rather ? Nevertheless we have not used this power, but we bear all 
things, lest we should give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ. 

13. Know you not that they who work in the holy place eat the 
things that are of the holy place, and they that serve the altar par- 
take with the altar? 

14. So, also, the Lord ordained, that they that preach the Gospel 
should live by the Gospel. 

15. But I have used none of these things. Neither have I writ- 
ten these things that they should be so done unto me ; for it is good 
for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void. 

16. For if I preach the Gospel it is no glory to me, for a neces- 
sity lieth upon me — for woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel. 

This a very unpleasant subject for a pastor to give in- 
structions upon to his own flock. But his office, as a 
pastor, requires him to teach them all their Christian 
duties, so as not to leave them ignorant of any of them 
through his own fault. Whether they practice them or 
not, after having been taught them, is a matter for self- 
examination which rests between their consciences and 
God. 



Instruction XXXVI. 

FIFTH COMMANDMENT. 

Murder; Quarrelling; Anger ^ Revenge^ Envy and Hatred; 
giving Scandal and bad Example, 

What is the Fifth Commandment'^ — '*Thou shalt not kill." 

What is forbidden by the Fifth Commandment '^ — The Fifth Com- 
mandment forbids all wilful murder, hatred and revenge. 

Does it forbid striking '/ — Yes ; as also anger, quarrelling and in- 
jurious words. 

What else ? — Giving scandal and bad example. 

The Fifth Commandment is, '' Thou shalt not kill ;" 
and its general design is this, to direct us in what regards 
the preservation and protection of our own and neigh- 
bor's life and person, both as to soul and body. 

It forbids all actions that may have any (even remote) 
tendency to destroy life unjustly, and even the affections 

What is the design of the Fifth Commandment ? 



188 FIFTH COMMANDMENT. 

of the soul that have such a tendency : " You have heard 
that it was said to them of old, thou shalt not kill ; and 
whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. 
But / say to you, that whosoever is angry with his 
brother shall be in danger of the judgment." (Matt. v. 
21, 22.) Anger ^ therefore, and murder^ and all the mter- 
mediate degrees between them, are forbidden. 

I. Murder is a most grievous crime ! — it is one of the 
four sins that cry to heaven for vengeance : " Cain rose 
up against his brother Abel and slew him. And the 
Lord said to Cain, What hast thou done ? The voice of 
thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earths (Gen. iv. 
8, 9, ID.) The crime of the murderer haunts him day 
and night — his conscience cannot rest — at all times he 
seems to hear God saying to him: "What hast thou 
done? I will require of thee blood for blood, life for 
life, and soul for soul." (Exod. xxi. 23; Ezech. xxxiii. 
6, 8.) Some murders are more heinous than others: as, 
for instance, killing those who are consecrated to God, 
or who are the near relatives of the murderer. When 
persons wilfully cause a miscarriage they are guilty of a 
real murder, and one of the worst kind, because it is the 
murder of their own child, as to its soul as well as its 
body ! We may lawfully defend ourselves if unjustly 
attacked, and we are not obliged to suffer ourselves to 
be killed in order to spare the life of an unjust aggres- 
sor. Suicide, or self-murder, is also forbidden by this 
Commandment, for it says simply, "Thou shalt not 
kill'^ God only has the power of life and death. How 
awful it is to go before the judgment seat of God un- 
called for, as the suicide does ! 

II. Uncharitable disputes^ co?itentions^ strifes^ quarrel- 
ling^ fightings and the like^ are forbidden by the Fifth 
Commandment. 

Why are these forbidden ? 

\sty Because they tend toward murder: "Injurious 

Does it forbid actions that remotely tend to murder, even affec- 
tions ? Is murder a grievous crime ? Prove it. 



FIFTH COMMANDMENT. 189 

words go before blood." (Eccli. xxii. 30.) "A hasty 
contention kindleth a fire ; and a hasty quarrel sheddeth 
blood." (Ecdi. xxviii. 13.) 2dly, Because they are in- 
jurious to \hQperso?i of our neighbor, by afflicting either 
his mind or his body. 3^/^, Because they are opposed 
to fraternal charity : " The works of the flesh are mani- 
fest, which are .... enmities, contentions, wraths, quar- 
rels, dissensions; .... of which I foretell you that they 
who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of 
God." (Gal. V. 19-21.) 

III. Anger, Revenge, Envy and Hatred are also strictly 
forbidden. 

1. What is Anger? 

It is a feeling of displeasure on account of some real 
or supposed injury, with some desire of punishing the 
offender. This is not always sinful, for there is just as 
well as unjust anger. Anger is just when the cause of 
it is just, when the feeling is moderate and subject to 
reason, and when the desire of punishment is propor- 
tioned to the offense and not from a spirit of revenge. 
This is rather a zeal than anger, as in a parent correcting 
his child for having done evil : "Be angry and sin not." 
(Eph. iv. 26.) Anger is unjust when any one of the above- 
mentioned conditions is wanting. Then it very soon 
degenerates into revenge. 

2. What is Revenge ? 

It is rendering evil for evil, or desiring to do so. 
There is a sin against charity, which as St. Paul- says, 
•' is not provoked to anger;" but " is patient and beareth 
all things, endureth all things." (i Cor. xiii. 4, 5.) " Re- 
venge is quite contrary to the virtue of Christian pa- 
tience and to the precept of returning good for evil." 
(Rom. xii. 19-21; i Pet. iii. 9.) 

3. What is Envy ? 

It is a repining or uneasiness at another's good, as 
lessening one's own. This is likewise opposed to charity, 
which " is kind and envieth not." (I Cor. xiii. 4.) St. 



190 FIFTH COMxMANDMENT. 

Paul says : " Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep 
with them that weep." (Rom. xii. 15.) But envy leads a 
man to do quite the contrary; and it even renders his 
disposition comformable to that of the devil, who, 
through envy, grieves at our happiness and rejoices at 
our misery. 

4. What is Hatred^ 

It is a feeling of mind which is the very opposite to 
love; and, therefore, it is a direct breach of that great 
Commandment which requires us to love every neighbor 
as ourselves. Hatred is a state of mind most displeasing 
to God, and most gloomy and miserable to the sinner. 

IV. Giving scandal or bad example is also forbidden 
by the Fifth Commandment, being destructive, not in- 
deed of the body, but of the soul of our neighbor. 
Scandal is any word or action which, being in itself evil, 
or having the appearance of evil, is the occasion of sin 
to others There are three kinds of scandal: 

1. There is what is called malicious scandal, or doing 
what is in itself evil, either with the intention of causing 
sin, or when the person knows or ought to know that it 
will cause it, or that it is calculated to cause it, as giving 
bad example to inferiors, enticing others to sin, ridiculing 
virtue, advising or encouraging what is sinful, flattering 
others for doing evil, uttering immodest words, etc. 
" Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must 
needs be that scandals come ; but, nevertheless, woe to 
that man by whom the scandal cometh." (Matt, xviii. 
6, 7.) *^ He that shall scandalize one of these little ones 
that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone 
should be hanged about his neck and that he should be 
drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matt, xviii. 6, 7.) The 
company of scandalizing sinners should be shunned as 
much as possible, for " evil communications corrupt 
good manners." (i Cor. xv. 2iZ') 

2. There is likewise what is called the scandal of weak 

Is scandal forbidden? What is scandal? Is malicious scandal 
sinful? How many kinds of scandal are there? 



FIFTH COMMANDMENT. 191 

brethren^ or doing what has only the appearance of evil, 
from which ignorant or weak persons take occasion of 
sin ; as, for instance, when a person, who is lawfully dis- 
pensed with from the law of abstinence, eats meat on a 
forbidden day in the presence of others, foreseeing or 
having reason to believe that they will take scandal at it. 
The doing of this and of such like things, which are not 
evil, but merely have the appearance of evil, is not a sin, 
except when we foresee or have reason to believe that 
scandal will be taken at it, and when circumstances are 
such as to require us ^o remove the cause of scandal. 

3. There is also a Pharisaical scandal, or scandal taken 
but not given ; i. e., when a person from an evil and maili- 
cious disposition takes scandal, without any reason, at 
our actions, and even at good actions, putting the worst 
construction upon them and attributing them to some 
bad intention. This is called Pharisaical scandal, be- 
cause it is such as the Pharisees took at the words and 
actions of our Blessed Redeemer. Evidently, this is no 
sin, except in the persons who take the scandal. We 
are not to avoid doing good, because malicious people 
chose to take scandal at it. 

But, as to real scandal, avoid every thing that would 
really give cause to others for being scandalized, and 
avoid it with the greatest care, because scandal is a very 
grievous cnme, being a spiritual murder: "Woe to that 
man by whom the scandal cometh." Strive rather to set 
good example — to lead others to virtue : " Let your light 
so shine before men that they, seeing your good works, 
may glorify your father who is in heaven." (Matt. v. 16.) 

Is the scandal of weak brethren sinful ? For whom is Pharisaical 
scandal a sin ? 



192 SIXTH COMMANDMENT. 

Instruction XXXVII. 

SIXTH AND NINTH COMMANDMENTS. 

Charity Commanded — Impurity forbidden — In what this 
Vice Consists — Its Remedies, 

What is the Sixth Commandments — *' Thou shalt not commit 
adultery. " 

What is forbidden by the Sixth Commandment? — The Sixth Com- 
mandment forbids all kinds of sins of uncleanness with another's 
wife or husband. 

What else ? — All other kinds of immodesties, by kisses, touches, 
looks, words or actions. • 

And what ought we to think of immodest plays and comedies ? — 
That they are also forbidden by this Commandment, and it is sinful 
to be present at them. ^ 

What is the Ninth Commandment? — *'Thou shalt not covet thy 
neighbor's wife." 

What is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment? — The Ninth 
Commandment forbids all lustful thoughts and desires, and all wilful 
pleasures in the irregular motions of the flesh. 

The Sixth and Ninth Commandments relate, both of 
them, to the same object; and they have both the hke 
design, for they both relate to sensual pleasures, and for 
the purpose of directing us with regard to them. By 
these two commandments impurity is strictly forbidden 
and chastity is commanded. 

I. Chastity is a most amiable virtue. The practice of 
it makes us rather like Angels than the fallen children 
of Adam. It renders us most pleasing in the eyes of 
God. It was for this virtue that the Blessed Virgin 
Mary was chosen to be the mother of God, and that 
St. John was beloved by Christ above the rest of the 
Apostles. Those who have preserved their chastity are 
represented in the Apocalypse as being most honored in 
heaven by being chosen to be the immediate attendants 
of our Blessed Savior : " These are they who are not de- 
filed with women, for they are virgins ; these follow the 
Lamb whithersoever he goeth." (Apoc. xiv. 4.) 
II. This amiable virtue is sullied and innocence lost by 

Is Chastity a noble virtue ? 



SIXTH COMMANDMENT. 193 

every defilement of impurity or of unlawful carnal pleas- 
ure. Every impure thought, every unchaste desire and 
every indecent action are strictly forbidden ; and when 
they are wilfully and deliberately consented to, they are 
mortal sins, as is evident from the declarations of Scrip- 
ture — from the punishments of this vice and from its 
effects on the sinner. 

1. From the declaration of Scripture: Our Blessed 
Redeemer tells us that "evil thoughts, adulteries, forni- 
cations, etc., are the things \h2X defile a man." (Matt. xv. 
19.) Sins of impurity defile both soul and body. Now, 
St. Paul says : " Know you not that your members are 
the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you ? . . , Know 
you not that you are the temple of God ? But if any 
man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy T 
(i Cor. vi. 18, 19; iii. 17.) "Fornication and all un- 
cleanness, let it not be so much as named among you as ^ 
becometh saints." ( Eph. v. 3. > Frequently in Scripture 
the Almighty expresses his hatred of these sins by call- 
ing them "-detestable things^'' '^abominations:'''' "Every 
soul that shall commit any of these abominations shall 
perish from the midst of his people." (Levit. xviii. 29.) 

2. From the punishments of this vice : The terrible 
judgments which have been executed upon mankind on 
account of the vice of impurity, show that it must be 
very displeasing to God. For, being infinitely /W/, God 
never inflicts upon any sins more punishment than they 
deserve ; but being infinitely merciful^ he may inflict much 
less. Now, he has executed the most severe vengeance 
upon this vice. For, 

First, When " all flesh had corrupted its way upon 
the earth" by yielding to this vice, "God said: I will 
destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the 
earth — from man even to beasts — for it repenteth me 
that I have made them." (Gen. vi. 1-13.) And in ac- 
cordance with this terrible threat, he covered the earth 

How is chastity sullied ? Prove its violation to be sinful from 
Scripture. Prove it from the punishments of it. 

13 



194 SIXTH COMMANDMENT. 

with a universal deluge, which destroyed the whole hu- 
man race except Noe and his family. (Gen. vii. 21,22, 23.) 

Secondly^ When the inhabitants of Sodom, and of the 
neighboring cities, gave themselves up to sins of the 
flesh, their crimes were so grievous that the Scripture 
says they cried to heaven for vengeance. (Gen. xviii. 20, 
21.) And in his anger God showered down fire and 
brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all except 
Lot and his family. (Gen. xix. 24, 25.) 

Thirdly^ Onan, for defiling his marriage-bed, was 
struck dead, *^ because (says the Scripture) he did a 
detestable thing!" (Gen. xxxviii. 10.) 

Fourthly, Four and twenty thousand of the Israelites 
were, on one occasion, put to death by God's command 
for crimes which they had committed against the Sixth 
Commandment; i. e., for adultery and fornication. 
(Numb. XXV. 1-9.) 

Fifthly, Sins against this Commandment exclude those 
who die guilty of them from the kingdom of heaven 
and condemn them to everlasting torments : " The works 
of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, unclean- 
ness, immodesty, luxury; ... of which I foretell you that 
they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom 
of God." (Gal. V. 19, 21.) " But (Almighty God declares) 

the abominable shall have their portion in the pool 

burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second 
death." (Apoc. xxi. 8.) 

3. From the fatal effects which this vice produces on 
those who are addicted to it : For, 

First, Sins of this kind darken and blind the under- 
standing; they produce great hardness of heart and. 
spiritual insensibility, and they lead to many other sins. 

Secondly, When habitual they render conversion very 
difficult, for they corrupt the heart to such a degree as 
seems to deprive the sinner almos-t of the power of 
resistance. It is of these signs chiefly that it is said : 
''If the Ethiopian can change his skin or the leopard 

Prove it from the fatal effects. 



SIXTH COMMANDMENT. 195 

his spots, you also may do well when you have learned 
evil." (Jer. xiii. 23.) And again: ** His bones shall be 
filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep 
with him in the dust." (Job xx. 11.) By a habit of 
sensual indulgences the sinner becomes so hardened that 
the most awful threats can make no impression him. 

Thirdly^ The vice of impurity destroys all happiness 
and makes life a complete burden. It disgraces the sin- 
ner, ruins his health, and ofttimes brings on a most 
loathsome disease, which reduces the body, even while 
living, to a state of putrefaction. 

III. In what does the sin of impurity consist ? 

As was said just now, all kinds and degrees of this 
vice are strictly forbidden, so that every voluntary and 
deliberate cofisent to the carnal pleasure of impurity, 
whether it be in thought, word or action, is a mortal sin. 

Is it a sin to have immodest thoughts in one's mind? 
If they are wilful, yes ; otherwise, no. 
Is it a sin to be tempted? 

No; the sin consists in either wilfully causing the 
temptation, or entertaining it, or taking pleasure in it, or 
yielding consent to it. 

Plays and promiscuous meetings for dancing are very 
often causes of temptations and of sins. They are danger- 
ous, and should therefore be avoided. For *^ he that 
loveth danger shall perish in it." (Eccli. iii. 27.) By 
these dangers thousands have lost their innocence. 
Hence, the pastors of the Church have always declaimed 
against them. St. John Chrysostom says : " Can any 
one touch boiling pitch and not be defiled with it ? " And 
the Book of Proverbs also says : " Can a rnan hide fire 
in his bosom and his garments not burn ? or can he walk 
upon hot coals and his feet not be burnt?" (Prov. vi. 
27, 28.) In like manner it may be asked : Can you 
wilfully run into temptations of impurity and not fall a 
prey to sin ? 

What should be thought of plays and dancing ? 



196 SIXTH COMMANDMENT. 

IV. Remedies ; You cannot avoid these sins without 
taking the fiecessary precautions and using the proper 
means, which are these : 

1. Fly with horror all occasions that are calculated to 
lead to sin, such as mixed dances, dangerous interviews 
with persons of the other sex, bad company ; indeed, all 
that tends to excite improper thoughts or to inflame the 
passions. 

2. Keep a strict watch over yourselves, guarding espe- 
cially your eyes and your ears : " Turn away thy face 
from a woman dressed up, and gaze not upon another's 
beauty, for many have perished by another's beauty, and 
hereby lust is enkindled as a fire." (Eccli. ix. 8.) 

3. Resist with vigor and resolution, and immediately, 
the first attacks : '' Resist the devil and he will fly from 
you." (James iv. 7.) 

4. Have recourse frequently \,o fervent prayer, and join 
with it the practice of mortification : ■ " And as I knew 
that I could not otherwise be continent, except God gave 
it (and this also was a point of wisdom to know whose 
gift it was), I went to the Lord and besought him with 
my whole hearth (Wisd. viii. 21.) "This kind of devil 
(the unclean spirit) is not cast out but by prayer and 
fasting." (Matt. xvii. 20.) '''I chastise my body and 
bring it into subjection, lest, perhaps, when I have 
preached to others I myself should become a cast-away.^' 
(i Cor. ix. 27.) " If you live according to the flesh, you 
shall die ; but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of 
the flesh, you shall live." (Rom. viii. 13.) 

5. Practice humility, and place great confidence in God. 

6. Be devout to the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

What are the remedies? 



SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. 197 

Instruction XXXVIII. 

SEVENTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS. 

Ads of Injustice — Restitution to be made — Covetousness to 

be avoided. 

What is the Seventh Command7nent? — *•' Thou shalt not steal. '^ 

What is forbidden by the Seventh Commandment'^ — The Seventh 
Commandment forbids all unjust taking away or keeping what be- 
longs to another. 

What else .^— All manner of cheating in buying and selling, or in 
any other way wronging our neighbor. 

Must we restore ill-gotten goods'^ — Yes, if we are able; or else the 
sin will not be forgiven. We must also pay our debts. 

What is the Tenth Commandments — '*r.hou shalt hot covet thy 
neighbor's goods.'* 

What is forbidden by the Tenth Commandment 9 — The Tenth 
Commandment forbids all covetous thoughts and unjust desires of 
our neighbor's goods and profits. 

The design of these two Commandments is to direct 
us in our duties toward our neighbor with regard to his 
property and temporal goods, requiring us to act honestly 
toward him by forbidding all kinds oi injustice, whether 
it be in stealing from him, in cheating or defrauding him, 
in deceiving or overreaching him in business, in impos- 
ing upon him, in wilfully damaging his possessions, in 
coveting, etc. 

I. The Seventh Commandment forbids all unjust taking 
away or retaining what belongs to another person against 
his will. If this be done by secret fraud, it is called 
theft ; if by open violence, it is called robbery. This is 
always a sin, which is greater or less, according to the 
amount of the injury done and to the disposition of him 
who does it. For it is a greater sin to steal twenty shil- 
lings than to steal one. But if, in stealing the one shil- 
Img, a person had the actual disposition and intention 
of stealing twenty, then his guilt is the same as if twenty 
had been stolen. Although the trifling amount of an 
injustice committed, and the absence of all disposition to 

What is the design of the Seventh and Tenth Commandments ? 
What injustice is forbidden by the Seventh Commandment ? 



198 SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. 

commit a greater, may render this sin venial; yet injus- 
tice is, in its own nature, a mortal sin. Thus St. Paul 
says : '^ You do wrong and defraud, and that to your 
brethren. Know you not that the unjust shall not pos- 
sess the kingdom of God ? Do not err. Neither idola- 
ters, nor thieves, nor covetous persons, nor extortioners 
shall possess the kingdom of God.'^ (i Cor. vi. 8,9, 10.) 
Again he says : " This is the will of God, . . . that no man 
overreach nor circumvent his brother in business, because 
the Lord is the avenger of all these things." (i Thess. iv. 

3.6.) 

By these transgressions against the Seventh Command- 
ment we violate two very important virtues, viz., Charity 
and Justice; and we act in direct opposition to this pre- 
cept of Christ : " As you would that men should do to 
you, do you also to them in like manner." (Luke vi. 31.) 

Almighty God frequently punishes sins of injustice by 
executing vengeance even in this life : " He that hath 
gathered riches and not by right, in the midst of his 
days he shall leave them." (Jer. xvii. 11.) Honesty, 
therefore, is the best policy, for ill-gotten goods seldom 
prosper: " Some distribute their own goods and grow 
richer ; some take what is not their own and are always 
in want." (Prov. xi. 24.) 

There are mafiy ways by which persons become guilty 
of injustices : 

1. By unjustly taking away or keeping what belongs 
to another against the owner's will. 

2. By destroying or damaging another's property wil- 
fully and maliciously or mischievously. 

3. By passing bad money knowingly. 

4. By selling things for what they are not, or conceal- 
ing their defects. 

5. By taking undue advantage of a person's ignorance 
or of his necessities. 

6. By servants wasting their master's goods, or giving 

What are the two kinds of injustice ? Is it a mortal sin ? What 
virtues does it violate ? Does God punish it in this life ? 



SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. 1S9 

meat and drink to others without his knowledge and 
against his will. 

7. By workmen doing their work insufficiently, or 
idling away the time for which they are hired. 

8. By persons in trust taking bribes to overlook in- 
juries done to their employer. 

9. By contracting debts without any prospect of pay- 
ing them, or by refusing to pay just debts. Debts should 
be paid when due, if required then ; for a refusal to pay 
them is an unjust retaining of what belongs to another ; 
it causes loss to the creditor and frequently occasions his 
failure in business. 

10. By defrauding laborers of their wages: "The cry 
of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord." (James 
V. 4.) 

11. By oppressing the poor and helpless : " Defraud 

not the poor of alms Bow down thy ear to the poor 

and pay what thou owest^ (Eccli. iv. i, 8.) 

12. By usury, i. e., by requiring and taking for the 
loan of money more than is allowed by public authority 
without any just grounds. This is an oppression — it is 
taking advantage of a neighbor's necessity. " Do good 
and lend, hoping for nothing thereby." (Luke vi. 35.) 

II. When these or other injustices have been committed, what is 
required to be done ? 

Restitution must be made by giving back what has 
been taken away or its value, or by repairing the damage 
which has been done. This is of strict obligation, if we 
are able to do it ; but if we are not able, then we must 
be in a disposition to do it when we shall become able, 
otherwise the sin will not be forgiven. And this obliga- 
tion of making restitution and compensation rests not 
only on the person who has performed the unjust act, 
but also on every one who has been a real and guilty 
cause of it. 

III. As a means of avoiding injustices, we should banish 

What are the twelve ways of committing injustice ? Whom does 
restitution oblige ? 



200 SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. 

(according to the Tenth Commandment) all dispositions 
iocovetousness^ and we should rely on divine Providence. 

What is covetotisness ? 

It is having too great a desire and concern for money 
or possessions, so as to set one's heart upon them. There 
are two kinds of covetous persons : ist, Those who love 
money so much as take u?ijiist means of getting it : '' There 
is not a more wicked thing than to love money, for such 
a one setteth even his own soul to sale. . . . Nothing is 
more wicked than the covetous man." (Eccli. x. 9, 10.) 
2dly, Those who do not, indeed, take unjust ways of 
getting money, but pursue it too ardently and possess it 
too closely or fondly : "If riches abound, set not the 
heart upon them." (Ps. Ixi. 11.) "Thou fool! this night 
do they require thy soul of thee ; and whose shall those 
things be which thou hast provided." (Luke xii. 20.) 

How may persons know when they are covetous ? 
They may know it by their conduct in acquiring^ posses- 
sing or losmg, 

1. In acquiring : If they let their mind be habitually 
occupied about their interests, or neglect their spiritual 
duties for the sake of earthly gains, they may then con- 
clude that they are not free from covetousness. 

2. In possessi7ig : If their possessions make them proud 
and haughty, if they trust in them, if they are too spar- 
ing to themselves, or hard-hearted to the poor, if they 
cannot pay their debts without feeling great difficulty in 
parting with the money, then also they are to believe 
that they are covetous. 

3. In losing .• If they are very fretful, uneasy, and al- 
low their peace of mind to be habitually disturbed at 
every loss that happens to them, they may then likewise 
conclude that they are covetous. Riches, to a good 
man, may be compared to his clothes, which are put off 
without pain ; but to a covetous man, they may be com- 
pared to his skin, which is not put off without great tor- 
ment. The good man receives losses with resignation; 
when they befall him he can say with holy Job: "The 



EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 201 

Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; as it hath 
pleased the Lord so is it done ; blessed be the name of 
the Lord." (Job. i. 21.) 

The good man rehes, not on earthly possessions, but 
on Providence^ according to the injunction of Christ, who 
says : " Be not solicitous, saying. What shall we eat, or 
what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed ? 
for your Father knoweth that you have need of all these 
things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God 
and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto 
you." (Matt. vi. 31-33.) 



Instruction XXXIX. 

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 

Lies ; Rash judgment ^ Calumny and Detraction, 

What is the Eighth Commandment'^ — ** Thou shalt not bear false 
witness against thy neighbor/' 

What is forbidden by the Eighth Commandment ? — The Eighth 
Commandment forbids all false testimonies, rash judgments and Hes. 

What else? — All backbiting and detraction, or any words or 
speeches, by which our neighbor's honor or reputation is any ways 
hurt. 

What is he bound to do who has injured his neighbor by speaking 
ill of hi^nf — He must make him satisfaction and restore his good 
name as far as he is able. 

The Eighth Commandment is, " Thou shalt not bear 
false witness against thy neighbor." (Exod. xx. 16.) And 
its design is, to direct us in w^hat we owe to truths and 
also in the duties which we owe to our neighbor with 
regard to his reputation. It forbids lies of every kind, 
and all unjust injuring of our neighbor's character, either 
by rash judgments or by calumny or detraction. 

I. What is a LIE ? 

It is any word or action whereby (for the purpose of 
deceiving) we give others to understand what we believe 

What is the injunction of Christ in regard to earthly possessions ? 
What is the twofold design of the Eighth Commandment ? 



202 EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 

at the time to be false -, or, in the words of St. Augustine, 
it is " having one thing in the mouth, and another in the 
mind." 

Are all lies sins 9 

Yes, if deliberately wilful : " A lie is a foul blot in a 
man." (Eccli. xx. 26.) But every lie is not a mortal sin, 
for there are some kinds which are venial, as lies of mere 
jesting, or of excuse, etc., when they do no injury to 
any one. Is it never lawful to tell a lie, even though 
great advantage may arise from it? No; we must not 
do evil that there may come good from it. (Rom. iii. 8.) 

Are not some lies mortal sins ? 

Yes, as is evident from the declarations of Scripture : 
"The mouth that belieth killeth the soul." (Wisd. i. 11.) 
"Lying lips are as abomination to the Lord." (Pro v. xii. 
22.) "All liars shall have their portion in the pool burn- 
ing with fire and brimstone." (Apoc. xxi. 8.) 

When are they mortal sins ? 

1. When told to oppose the great truths of Rehgion. 

2. When to praise vice or condemn virtue : " Woe to 
you who call good evil and evil good." (Is. v. 20.) 

3. When to protect or forward wickedness. 

4. When to injure one's neighbor in any thing of con- 
sequence, or when a person foresees or has reason to be- 
lieve that his lie will cause such an injury. 

5. When a person foresees^ or ought to foresee^ that it 
will be the cause of great scandal to others. 

6. When lies, though otherwise venial, are confirmed 
by oath. 

7. When persons break their promise in matters of 
consequence. For promises (made and accepted) give 
a full right to the thing promised, they are of strict ob- 
hgation. The breach of them is a double sin, being a 
violation oi justice as well as of truth. Equivocations 
and mental reservations {properly such) are lies, and 
therefore forbidden by the Eighth Commandment. 

II. This Commandment forbids all unjust injuring of 



EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 203 

our neighbor's character, whether it be in one's own 
mind only by rash judgments, or in the minds of others 
by calumny and detraction. 

I. /^>^«^ /j- RASH JUDGMENT ? 

It is judging evil without reasonable grounds, as, 

First, When, at first sight, from a person's looks, we 
form a bad opinion of him. 

Seco?tdly, When we attribute good or indifferent actions 
to bad intentions.. 

Thirdly, When from his past we judge of the present 
state of a person, or from the present we judge of his 
past or future state. 

Fourthly, When we condemn any one without hearing 
him, or without hearing both sides of the case. 

These rash judgments are uncharitable and sinful: 
" Charity thinketh no evil," but " hopeth all things.'* 
(i Cor. xiii. 5, 7.) "Judge not that you may not be 
judged." (Matt. vii. i.) "Condemn not, and you shall 
not be condemned." (Luke vi. 37.) They betray, more- 
over, a corrupted heart ; for " out of the abundance of 
the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matt. xii. 34.) "Why 
seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, but the beam 
that is in thine own eye thou considereth not." (Luke vi, 
41.) " For wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest 
thyself, for thou dost the same things which thou judg- 
est." (Rom. ii. i.) 

But suppose there are strong proofs, is it />5^« sinful? 

No, if there be these two conditions: \st, if the proofs 
be well founded ; and 2dly, if the person be heard in his 
own defense, or if both sides of the case be duly con- 
sidered. Appearances, however strong, are not to be 
relied upon, for they often deceive us. (Examples: How 
strong and suspicious were the appearances against Ben- 
jamin when he was accused of having stolen Joseph's 
silver cup, and when upon search being made it was 

What are the two ways of injuring a neighbor's character forbid- 
den by the Eighth Commandment ? Are rash judgments unchar- 
itable and sinful ? 



204 EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 

found concealed in his sack ? and yet he was innocent 
of the crime. (Gen. xHv. i, etc.) How strong also were 
the appearances, and how satisfactory did they seem to 
be in the eyes of the people against Susanna, in Baby- 
lon, when two judges accused her of adultery and ap- 
peared as eye-witnesses against her? Upon their testi- 
mony she was condemned; but still she was innocent, 
as Daniel afterward proved by examining the two judges 
separately and convicting them, out of their own mouth, 
of having borne false testimony against her.) Dan. xiii. 
I, etc.) 

2. What is CALUMNY or SLANDER? 

It is speaking evil of our neighbor when we know it to 
be false. 

What is DETRACTION ? 

It is speaking ill of our neighbor when we know it to 
be true^ but secret or only known to a few. 

Calumny and Detraction are grievous sins, being against 
both charity and justice. They are frequently the cause 
of anger, hatreds, animosities, quarrels, etc., and they 
spring from a depraved and malicious heart: '-They 
have whetted their tongues like a sword." (Ps. Ixiii. 4.) 
" His words are smoother than oil, and the same are 
darts." (Ps. liv. 20.) Again " They have sharpened their 
tongues like a serpent, and the venom of asps is under 
their lips." Ps. cxxxix. 4.) 

Some persons are so given to these sins that as soon 
as they have heard any thing against their neighbor off 
they go and, " Have you heard what such a one has 
done ? I could not have believed it ! But I fear it is 
too true; and if you will promise me not to speak of it 
again I will tell you." Then out it comes, and involves 
both of them in sin. 

When they know no evil of their neighbor, or hear 
him praised for some good which they cannot deny : 
" Ah ! well! (they will say) he is not the man the world 

Are calumny and detraction sinful ? 



EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. 205 

takes him to be. For my part ; but I will say nothing ; 
for least said is soonest mended." Or they will shake 
their head and put on a significant smile, with, " I couM 
say something, if I chose." This is most uncharitable, 
unjust and malicious: "They have whetted their tongues 
like a sword." (Ps. Ixiii. 4.) 

Sometimes they will even pretend esteem, but only to 
give greater effect to their detraction. Thus they will 
say : " He is a person I have great esteem for, for he 
has some good qualities, but I am sorry to find he is 
given to such and such things." "I always looked upon 
him as a good man, but it is a pity he is not more on 
his guard against such a practice." These l^u/s, at the 
end, are like the sting in a serpent^s tail — they carry 
venom with them ; " Their words are smoother than oil, 
and the same are darts." (Ps. Hv. 20.) "The venom of 
asps is under their lips." (Ps. cxxxix. 4.) 

May we 7iever speak of our neighbor's faults, or make 
them known to others ? Sometimes we may^ and even 
ought, for we may speak of them (with the view of get- 
ting the evils corrected) to those whose business or duty 
it is to correct them ; we may speak of them, also, when 
it is necessary to guard others against injury; we may 
likewise speak of them when the evil is quite public, and 
we speak of it merely as a public event, without taking 
pleasure in speaking of it as an evil in our neighbor. 

Is it, then, a sin to speak with pleasure oi ^^ known faults of our 
neighbor ? 

Yes ; it is what is called backbiting — ^it is not doing as 
we would be done by. 

Carrying tales backward and forward, so as to make 
mischief among neighbors, is uncharitable and sinful : 
" The tale-bearer shall defile his own soul and shall be 
hated by all." (Ecch. xxi. 31.) 

Is it also a sin to listen to calumny, detraction and backbiting? 

Yes, when we consent to it or take pleasure in hearing 

Can you mention the ways of spreading injurious reports ? of les- 
sening praise ? and of maliciously pretending esteem of another ? 



206 NINTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS. 

it, or when, by our attention, questioning, etc., we en- 
courage the detractor to go on. 

Instead of Hstening to detractors we should shun their 
company : *^ My son .... have nothing to do with de- 
tractors> (Prov. xxiv. 21.) *^ Hedge in thy ears with 
thorns, and hear not a wicked tongue." EccU. xxviii. 28.) 
If obliged to hear, then take the part of the person against 
whom the detraction is directed, or reprove the detractor, 
show displeasure, or turn aside, or introduce some other 
subject of conversation, which if done abruptly will serve 
as an admonition to the detractor. 

Calumniators and detractors who, by their evil speak- 
ing, have lessened the reputation of others, or have 
caused them suffer any other loss, are obliged to make 
satisfaction by retracting what they have said if it were 
false, and by repairing the whole injury in whatever way 
they can. 

This obligation, together with the 'injustice and un- 
charitableness of these sins, should lead you to avoid 
them with the greatest care, and should make you ready 
(as the wise man exhorts) even to " melt down your gold 
and silver in order to make a balance for your words 
and a just bridle for your mouth." (Eccli. xxviii. 29.) 

What is tale-bearing ? Is it sinful ? How shoul 1 we deal with 
detractors? To what are they obliged? Should these sins be 
avoided with care ? 



Instruction XL. 

NINTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS. 

The Government of the Heart ; Evil Thoughts and De- 
sires ; Temptations arising therefrom ; the Mea7is to be 
employed against them. 

What is the AHnth Commandment 9 — **Thou shalt not covet thy 
neighbor's wife." 

What is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment? — The Ninth 
Commandment forbids all lustful thoughts and desires, and all wilful 
pleasures in the irregular motions of the flesh. 



NINTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS. 207 

What is the Tenth Commandment^ — **Thou shalt not covet thy 
neighbor's goods." 

What is forbidden by the Tenth Commandment? — The Tenth 
Commandment forbids all covetous thoughts and unjust desires of 
our neighbor's goods and profits. 

The Ninth and Tenth Commandments have, in great 
measure, been explained in the Instructions on the Sixth 
and Seventh. 

The Sixth and Seventh Commandments forbid all 
actions contrary to chastity and justice; the Ninth and 
Tenth forbid all wilful thoughts and desires contrary to 
those two virtues. Their design, therefore, is to teach us 
the proper regulation of our thoughts and desires ; that 
is to say, the government of the heart. 

I. Nothing is of greater importance than this gov- 
ernment OF THE HEART, for the neglcct of it is the 
cause of all the other sins we commit. For, '^ from the 
heart i^when not properly governed) come forth evil 
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false 
testimonies, blasphemies;" indeed, all kinds of wicked- 
ness. (Matt. XV. 19.) " For out of the abundance of the 
heart the mouth speaketh. A good man, out of a good 
treasure, bringeth forth good things ; and an evil man, 
out of an evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things." (Matt, 
xii. 34, 35.) Therefore, according as the desires and dis- 
positions of the heart are so will our outward conduct 
be — good or evil. How important, then, it must be that 
we should properly govern and regulate the heart. 

II. Evil THOUGHTS AND DESIRES. Whatever is a sin 
to say or do, it is a sin also to consent to in thought or 
desire : ^' Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord." 
(Prov. XV. 26.) Indeed, the malice of sin properly con- 
sists in the disposition of the heart — in the consent of the 
will: " Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after 
her, hath already committed adultery with her in his 
heartr (Matt. v. 28.) [Examples : When a person breaks 
his fast kfiowingly and wilfully on a day when he is 

What is the design of the Ninth and Tenth Commandments ? Is 
the government of the heart important? When are thoughts sinful? 
Has the intention anything to do with the morahty of an act ? 



208 NINTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS. 

obliged to fast, the outward act is exactly the same as 
when he breaks his fast unknowingly and innocently, yet 
in the former case it is a sin, but in the latter it is no sin 
at all. Now, that which makes all the difference is the 
inte7ition and disposition of the heart. Again, the same 
must be said of taking and spending another man's 
money, believing it to be his^ and doing the same out- 
ward act, believing the money, by mistake, to be one's own. 
In the one case it is a formal injustice and sin ; in the 
other there is a material injustice, but no guilt of sin at 
all.] Thus, the performance of the very same outward 
actio7i is sinful or not sinful in him who performs it, ac- 
cording to the intention and dispositions of his heart. 
Hence, it may be said, that if these two Commandments 
be duly observed, (that is to say, if the heart be properly 
governed), the whole law will be fulfilled. 

III. Temptations by evil-thoughts and evil inclina- 
tions. Is every evil thought a sin ? No ; it may be 
only a temptation. For if we give no wilful occasion to 
such thoughts, as by reading bad books, looking at im- 
proper objects, keeping bad company, etc., and if we do 
not consent to them, but oppose them, then they are not, 
properly speaking, our own^ and they will not be imputed 
to us as sins. Indeed, instead of injuring us, they are 
then an advantage, because they serve to prove our 
fidelity to God — to obtain for us greater graces — to in- 
crease our merits, and, consequently, to procure for us a 
greater degree of glory hereafter. 

We make the evil thoughts our own and render them 
sinful — 

1. If we bring them into our mind wilfully^ being 
aware, in some degree at least, of the evil we are doing ; 

2. If we love the evil, and wilfully d^oy^ our thoughts 
to dwell upon it ; 

3. If we conse?it with our will to any evil proposed to 
us by the thoughts ; 

4. If we desire or intend to commit it; for this is what 

When do we make evil thoughts our own and render them sinful ? 



NINTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS. 209 

is directly forbidden by the Ninth and Tenth Command- 
ments. 

We can never be secure against these temptations; evil 
thoughts, bad desires, and the corrupt inclinations of the 
heart, are what we shall have to fight against all the 
days of our life. For the human heart is corrupted by 
the fall of Adam — it is naturally bent upon evil. This 
is what makes " the life of man upon earth a warfare " 
(Job vii. i), and puts us continually in danger of sin, 
unless we use proper means for curbing and correcting 
our natural inclinations. 

IV. The Means proper for curbing and correcting our 
inclinations or passions : 

1. Acquire a habit of attention; i. e., direct your 
mind habitually to some useful subject, and never allow 
it to run wilfully or wildly on any subject that presents 
itself. Thus you will be enabled to keep a constant 
vigilance over the motions of your heart: "Watch and 
pray, that you enter not into temptation." (Matt. xxvi. 
41.) 

2. Ac(\\x\rQ a habit of industry / i.e., be always em- 
ployed for some useful purpose — ^let the devil never find 
you idle. For indulging in sloth, and in the love of 
ease, is the cause of many temptations. 

3. Avoid the occasions of temptation, such as reading 
dangerous books, looking at dangerous objects, keeping 
bad company, intemperance, etc. 

4. Baalish the first thought immediately and reso- 
lutely, as you would cast off a spark from your clothes. 

5. Turn immediately to God ; think of his being pres"- 
ent; think on Christ's passion; implore the divine as- 
sistance ; have recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

6. If the temptation continues to trouble you, treat it 
with contempt^ engaging your mind on your employment, 
or any other subject which will most easily take up your 
attention. 

Can we be secure against temptation ? What are the means of 
curbing or correcting our inclinations or passions. 

14 



210 PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH. 

7. Put great confidence in the divine grace and protec- 
tion : ^^ My grace is sufficient for thee." (2 Cor. xii. 9.) 
" God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted 
above that which you are able; but will make with 
temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it." (i 
Cor. X. 13.) •* Though I should walk in the midst of 
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for tAou^ O 
Lord; art with me." (Ps. xxii. 4.) 



EXPLANATION OF THE 

COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH. 



Instruction XLI. 

FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH. 

TAe Obligation of Obeying the Churchy of Observing the 
Holydays^ and of Hearing Mass on all Sundays and 
Holydays, 

Are we bound to obey the Commandments of the Church f — Yes, 
because Christ has said to the pastors of the Church: ** He that 
heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me.** 

tfow many are the Commandmen'ts of the Church ? — Chiefly six. 

What is the First Commandment of the Church^ — To keep cer- 
tain appointed days holy, with the obhgation of resting from servile 
works. 

What are the^e days called 9 — They are called holy days of obliga- 
tion. 

What is the Second Commandment of the Chufch ^ — To hear 
Mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation. 

By the " Coinmandments of the Church " we mean 
those general laws and regulations which the Pastors of 
the Church have made and rendered binding on the 
Faithful, by an authority received from Christ. That 
such a power is given to the Pastors of the Church is 
evident from our Savior's own words : " To thee I will 

What is meant by commands of the Church ? Has the Church 
authority to make them ? 



PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH. 211 

give the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatso- 
ever thou shalt bind upon earthy it shall be bound also in 
heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, 
it shall be loosed also in heaven.'* (Matt. xvi. 19.) And 
again; " Whatsoever j^'i?/^ shall bind upon earthy shall be 
boimd dX's.o m heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose 
upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.'* (Matt, xviii. 
18.) " Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, 
wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops^ to 
RULE the Church of God^ (Acts xx. 28.) 

I. Are the laws or Commandments of the Church binding in con- 
science? 

Yes, they are of strict obligation. For, 

1. Christ considers disobedience to the Pastors of his 
Church the same as disobedience to himself: " He that 
heareth you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth you, 
despiseth me." (Luke x. 16.) 

2. Christ shows that they who disobey are guilty of a 
grievous sin, for he ranks them with heathens and pub- 
licans : " If he will not hear the Church, let him be to 
thee as a heathen and publican." (Matt, xviii. 17.) 

3. St. Paul directly commands and strongly enforces 
this obedience and subjection : " Obey your prelates 
and be subject to them." (Heb. xiii. 17.) And again: 
" Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for 
there is no power but from God ; and those that are, 
are ordained of God. Therefore, he that resisteth 
the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they 
that resist, purchase to themselves damnation." (Rom. 
xiii, I, 2.) 

4. Indeed, the Church gives her commands by the 
guidance and authority of the Holy Ghost : "It hath 
seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us." (Acts xv. 
28.) 

Hew many are the Commandments of the Church 9 — Chiefly six. 

These six Commandments of the Church are regard- 
ing duties which God himself commands : the Church 
has only determined what God left undefined, viz. : the 



214 SECOND PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

things. . Seek ye ^ therefore^ first the kingdom of God and 
his justice, and all these things shall be added 
UNTO YOU." (Matt. vi. 26-33.) Depend upon it, you 
will not be losers by giving these days to God. But, 

4. What blessing can you expect if you love and pre- 
fer your temporal interests before God ? If you oj^end 
him by refusing him the service which he requires from 
you, and by rebelling against the Church which he com- 
mands you to obey, you then take the means of drawing 
down upon yourselves judgments instead of blessings. 

III. What is the Second Commandment of the Church? — To hear 
Mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation. 

This Commandment directs us to the manner oi ^va- 
ploying the days set apart for God's service — it obliges 
us to hear Mass on all all such days. 

Why are we commanded in particular to hear Mass ? 

Because the Sacrifice of the Mass is the most solemn 
and essential act of religious Worship and the most per- 
fect homage which man can pay to God. It is an act 
of homage the most pleasing to him, and the most 
effectual in drawing down his blessings. And, therefore, 
to hear (or celebrate) Mass attentively and devoutly, is 
the best means we have of keeping the day holy. Hence, 
what a pity it is that so many persons either neglect this 
holy Sacrifice when the Church requires them to assist 
at it, or are present at it without attention or devotion, 
and thereby not only run their souls into sin by violating 
this Second Commandment of the Church, but lose, 
moreover, the many and great spiritual blessings which 
a devout assistance at Mass would draw down upon 
them! 

To fulfillthi^ Commandment of hearing Mass on all 
Sundays and days of obligation, you must be present 
during the whole Mass, from beginning to end. To be 
absent wilfully without a necessary or sufficient cause, 
during all or a?iy part of it, is a sin, and the longer the 
absence the greater the sin ; if it be during two or three 

What must you do to fulfill the command of hearing Mass? 



THIRD PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 216 

minutes only, the sin is venial ; but if during a consider- 
able or an essential part, then it is mortal. The same is 
to be said of wilful distractions during Mass. 

What is meant by Days of Devotion ? 

They are festival days, on which it is proper and ad- 
visable that you should hear Mass and perform more ex- 
ercises of piety than on common days, although there is no 
command or strict obligation to do so. They were formerly 
days of obligation, but on account of the tepidity and 
neghgence of Christians the obligation has been removed. 



Instruction XLII. 

THIRD COMMANDMENT OF THE CHURCH. 

Abstinence and Fasting shown to be Scriptural — the Times 
and Manner of Fasting — its Advantages — Objections 
answered. 

What is the Third Commandment of the Church f — To keep the 
days of fasting and abstinence appointed by the Church. 

JVhat is meant by fasting days? — Days on which we are allowed 
to take but one meal, and are forbidden to eat flesh meat. 

Which are the fasting days 9 — The forty days of Lent, certain 
Vigils, the Ember days, and, in the United States, the Fridays in 
Advent. 

Why does the Church command us to fast? — That by fasting we 
may satisfy God for our sins. 

What is meant by days of abstinence? — Days on which we are for- 
bidden to eat flesh meat, but are allowed the usual number of meals. 

Which are the days of abstinence ?— K^ Fridays except the Friday 
on which Christmas -day may fall, and the Sundays in Lent, unless 
leave be given to eat meat on them. 

This Third Commandment of the Church directs us 
as to the times and 7?ia7iner of complying with the duty 
of Fasting, which duty God himself requires of us. It 
obliges us to refrain, on certain appointed days,, from 
taking our usual food; either as to quality only, and then 
we call it Abstinence ; or as to both quality and quantity, 
and then we call it Fasting. 

What does this Third Commandment direct ? 



216 THIRD PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

I. Are Abstinence and Fasting in accordance with Scripture f 
Yes, nothing can be more so. 

1, Asto Abstinence, the Scriptures contain many passages 
which strictly enjoined it. Thus, for instance, the very 
Jirst and only command given to Adam and Eve in 
Paradise was one of Abstinence : " Of the tree of know l- 
edge, of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For, in what 
day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death." 
(Gen. ii. 17.) Noe, likewise, received a precept of Absti- 
nence: " Flesh with blood you shall not eat." (Gen. ix. 4.) 
The Israelites, also, were commanded to abstain from 
several kinds of flesh : '' The flesh of these {viz,, the hare, 
the swine, etc) you shall not eat, and their carcasses you 
shall avoid. . . . Do not defile your souls nor touch aught 
thereof" (Levit. xi. 8, 11, 43.) [Examples of the strict 
observance of this precept amo7ig the J^ews : Eleazer pre- 
ferred death, and suffered death, rather than transgress 
this law of God by eating forbidden meats. So, likewise, 
did the Seven Maccabees, with their mother." (2 Mac. 
vi. and vii.) Daniel also, in the Babylonish captivity, 
" proposed in his heart that he would not be defiled with 
the king's (Nabuchodonosor's) table," and to the officer 
appointed over him he said: "Try, I beseech thee, thy 
servants for ten days,-and let pulse be given us to eat." 
(Dan. i. 8, 12.) The Apostles commanded the converts 
to abstain from blood and things strangled, and they 
gave this command in the name and by the authority of 
the Holy Ghost : " It hath seemed good to the Holy 
Ghost and to us to lay no further burden upon you than 
these necessary things: that you abstain from things 
sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things 
strangled." (Acts xv. 28, 29.) 

What practice, then, can be more scriptural than that 
of Abstinence ! How strange, therefore, it is, and how 
inconsistent, that they who pretend to take the Bible as 
their sole rule of faith should not only reject but even 

Prove that abstinence is in accordance with Scripture. 



THIRD PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 217 

ridicule a practice which is taught in almost every page 
of Scripture! ^ 

2. As to Fasting, the evidences for it in Scripture are 
numerous and decisive. Thus, in the Old Testament, 
God commanded, saying : " Blow the trumpet in Sion ; 
sanctify a fast ; call a solemn assembly Be con- 
verted to me with all your heart, in fastings and weeping, 
and mourning; and rend your hearts, not your gar- 
ments." (Joel ii. 15, 12, 13.) In the New Testament Christ 
also commands Fasting : " Then came to him the disci- 
ples of John, saying : Why do we fast often, but thy dis- 
ciples do not fast ? And Jesus said to them : Can the 
children of the Bridegroom mourn as long as the Bride- 
groom is with them ? But the days shall come when 
the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and 
then THEY SHALL FAST." (Matt. ix. 14-16.) And, ac- 
cordingly, he gave rules for fastifig to be then observed: 
"When you fast, be not as the hypocrites — sad. For 
they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto 
men to fast. Amen, I say to you, they have received 
their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy 
head and wash thy face, that thou appear not to men 
to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy 
Father, who seeth in secret, will repay thee." (Matt, 
vi. 16-18.) Both the Old and New Testaments testify 
that Fasting has, at all times, been practised by the 
greatest servants of God: Moses fasted forty days, 
without eating anything (Exod. xxxiv. 28.) ; Elias also 
fasted forty days, in the same manner (3 Kings xix. 8); 
David likewise fasted much : " My knees (he said) are 
weakened through fasting" (Ps. cviii. 24); the Apostles 
fasted ; " When they had ordained to them priests in 
every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they com- 
mended them to the Lord" (Acts xiv. 22); Christ him- 
self fasted : " And when he had fasted forty days and 
forty nights, he was afterwards hungry." (Matt. iv. 2.) 
Notwithstanding all these Scriptural evidences for fast- 

What Scripture have you for fasting ? 



218 THIRD PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

ing, how frequently do we hear the doctrine of it re- 
jected, and its practice called superstitious ? 

II. Almighty God,, then, requires us to fast; the 
Church (as I have already said) determines the times 
and manner of fulfilling what God thus requires. 

With regard to the times of Fasting^ the Church 
obliges us to keep as fast days : ist, The forty days of 
Lent, for from Ash Wednesday to Easter every day, 
except the Sundays, are fasting days; 2dly, Certain 
Vigils, viz. : the Vigils of Christmas Day, of Whit-Sun- 
day, of the Assumption oi the Blessed Virgin Mary, and 
of All Saints; 3dly, The Ember days, i. e., the Wednes- 
days, Fridays and Saturdays in the first week of Lent, 
in Whitsun-week, in the third week of September, and 
in the third week of Advent ; 4thly, in the United States 
the Fridays of Advent in many dioceses. 

With regard to the manner of Fasting, the Church 
restricts all her subjects, who have not a lawful cause of 
exemption, to only one full mealm the day, with a colla- 
tion at night; but, in this country, custom has author- 
ized us to take also something in the morning. What 
is thus taken in the morning must be but a little (one 
ounce, or, at most, two ounces), and the evening colla- 
tion, according to the common teaching of divines, 
must not exceed eight ounces of food. As to the quality 
of what may be taken morning and evening, according 
to the present discipline in the United States, it must 
not be flesh meat. 

Every fasting day is also a day of abstinence ; but it 
has been long customary to be allowed to eat flesh-meat 
at the full-meal on the Tuesdays and Thursdays in Lent, 
except the Thursday after Ash- Wednesday and the Tues- 
day and Thursday in Holy- Week. \But this dispensa- 
tion is liable to be altered by the Bishop \ 

In the earlier ages of the Church, fasting was much 
more rigorous than it is at the present time. 

What are the times of fasting the Church has determined ? What 
manner of fasting has the Church determined ? What is customary 
on some days in Lent ? 



THIRD PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 219 

Does the Church oblige all her members to fast ? 

No; none are commanded to fas/ until they have com- 
pleted their twenty-first year of age. And even then 
many are exempted — some by the weakness of their 
constitution, or by sickness; some by their laborious 
employments; some on account of their being in the 
family-way, or their having a child at the breast ; some 
by a dispensation lawfully obtained from their pastors. 
But all are obliged to abstaifi from flesh meat on days 
of fasting and abstinence after they have completed 
their seventh year of age, unless, for some just cause, 
they are dispensed with. 

Would it be a mortal sin to transgress the laws of fasting and 
abstinence ? 

Yes, unless it be done from some necessity, of by a 
lawful dispensation. In order to obtain a lawful dis- 
pensation, 2. just cause is necessary. 

III. Why does the Church command us to fast? — That by fast- 
ing we may satisfy God for our sins. 

It is with good reason that we are commanded to 
fast, because fasting is attended with many and very great 

ADVANTAGES. For, 

1. It is very powerful in appeasing the angei* of God 
and in averting his judgments. [Example of the Nine- 
vttes,] (Jonas iii. 8-10.) 

2. It satisfies the divine Justice, by discharging, or 
considerably lessening, the debt of temporal punishment 
due to our past sins. 

3. It acts as a preservative against future transgres- 
sions, because it tames the violence of our passions and 
weakens temptations. 

4. It renders the soul more spiritual — more fit for 
prayer, meditation, and other rehgious exercises. 

IV. The advantages of fasting being so great, and the Scriptures 
so clear, so explicit, and so strong in its favor, why do other religions 
object so much against the practice of it ? 

They do not like fasting, and therefore they are glad 
to catch at every trifling objection against it. 
What are the advantages with which fasting is attended ? 



220 THIRD PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

1. They say: "// is not that which goeth into the 
mouth that dejfileth a man'' (Matt. xv. ii), and they ap- 
ply this as an objection against fasting and abstinence; 
but it is evident that they misapply the text. For, what 
what was it that defiled Adam and Eve? Was it not 
the apple going into their mouths contrary to God's 
command ? Would not the eating of Nebuchodonosor's 
meats have defiled Daniel? and swine's flesh the Jews ? 
and was it not to avoid this defilement that Eleazer and 
the seven Maccabees, with their mother, suffered death ? 

2. They say: ''Flesh is as good on Friday as on other 
daysT Certainly, it is as good, but the act of eating it 
is not so good because forbidden by the lawful authority. 
The forbidden apple was as good as the others, but, etc. 
Leaven bread was forbidden to. the Jews during the 
week of the Passover, so that they would have sinned by 
eating it (Exod. xiii. 3-7 ; Deut. xvi. 3, 4), yet it was as 
good during that week-«,s at other times when allowed. 

3. They object against us these words of St. Paul : 
** Whatsoever is sold in the shambles eat^ asking no ques- 
tion for conscience sake'' (i Cor. X. 25.) But this text, 
instead of opposi;ig, rather confirms our doctrine. The 
first Christians were forbidden to eat things which had 
been ofifered to idols; and, in the very chapter from 
which the above passage is taken, St. Paul confirms 
that prohibition, and then teaches that the Christians 
were not to be scrupulous in its observance : for that so 
long as they did not know that the meat had been offered 
to idols, they might eat it, without first asking the ques- 
tion whether it had been offered to idols. " But [he 
adds] if any man say : This has been sacrificed to idols, 
do not eat of it, for his sake that told it and for con- 
science SAKE." (i Cor. X. 28.) 

But how can Protestants object to the doctrine and 
practice of either fasting or abstinence, since their " Book 
of Common Prayer" enjoins both? and since, by Pro- 

What is the first Scriptural objection against fasting ? How an- 
swered ? The second ? How answered ? The third ? How an- 
swered ? 



FOURTH PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 221 

testant laws, it is the duty of churchwardens to see that 
the parishioners have no flesh on their table on fish-days, 
i.e., on days of fasting and abstinence? Existing laws 
require them to levy penalties for eating flesh on those 
days (5 Eliz., cap. 5. — See Burn's Justice, Art. Church- 
wardens, Sect, vi.. Duties of Churchwardens in General), 
and also to present the transgressors to the Protestant 
Bishop at the Visitation. The Protestant Clergy are 
required by the Canons, under pain of censure, to de- 
clare to the people every Sunday, at the time appointed 
in the Communion-book, whether there be any Fasting- 
days the week following. (Canon 64.) 



Instruction XLIII. 

FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH. 

Annual Confession : Easter- Communion ; Prohibitions 
regarding Marriage. 

What is the Fourth Commandment of the Church ? — **To confess 
our sins to our Pastor at least once a year." 

At what time should children go to Confession ? — When they come 
to the use of reason, so as to be capable of mortal sin, which is gen- 
erally supposed to be about the age of seven years. 

What is the Fifth Commandment of the Church? — To receive 
the Blessed Sacrament once a year, and that at Easter or thereabouts. 

At what age are Christians bound to receive the Blessed Sacra^ 
ment? — When they are sufficiently capable of being instructed in 
that sacred mystery. 

What is the Sixth Commandment of the Church ? — Not to sol- 
emnize marriage at certain times, nor within certain degrees of kind- 
dred, nor privately without witnesses. 

I. The Fourth Commandment of the Church requires 
us to go to Confession, in obedience to the general com- 
mand of God; it fixes a period beyond which we are 
not allowed to defer the confession of our sins to our 
Pastor. 

What is the duty of ministers laid down by the Book of Common 
Prayer ? What does the Fourth Commandment require ? What 
determine ? 



222 FOURTH PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

The general command of God is implied in the very 
institution of Confession, for, as this institution renders 
Confession a necessary condition of reconcihation, it fol- 
lows that God requires it of every sinner. When Christ 
gave to his Apostles and their successors the power of 
forgiving and retaining sins, he thereby constituted his 
ministers the judges of consciences. Now, they cannot 
exercise this office without confession being made to 
them. 

The Church commands us to comply v/ith this general 
precept of God at the very least once a year. 

When does this obligation begin to bind us ? 

When we come to the use of reason, so as to be capable 
of mortal sin — when we are able to distinguish good from 
evil, so far as to be accountable to God for the morality of 
our actions. They who have not made their confession 
are obliged (if ignorant) to get instructed, in order to learn 
how to make it, and they are obliged to prepare them- 
selves for it, and they must never afterward neglect be- 
yond a year. 

But is once a year often enough to go to Confession ? 

It is all that the Church tx^rQ^sXy commands^ but not all 
that she wishes. After we have fallen into mortal sin 
God requires us to return to him, without delay, by sin- 
cere repentance : " Delay not to be converted to the 
Lord, and defer it not from to day, for his wrath shall 
come on a sudden and in the time of vengeance he will 
destroy thee." (Eccli. v. 8, 9.) When a person who has 
committed a mortal sin neglects for a long time to have 
recourse to the appointed means of reconciliation, can 
we suppose that God is not offended by such neglect ? 
Can we suppose that such a person is not violating the 
precept of loving the Lord his God with his whole heart, 
and soul, and mind, and strength ? Whenever we have 
been so unhappy as to become guilty of mortal sin, we 
should repent immediately^ and prepare ourselves for ap- 
is the command implied in the institution of confession ? How 
often at the very least is conlession required ? 



FIFTH PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 223 

preaching soon to the Sacrament of reconciliation. If 
this were done, how many sins would be thereby pre- 
vented ? 

For, Confession is not only a remedy for sins already 
committed, but it is also a preservative against commit- 
ting them in future. When a person is enslaved to any 
vice, when his heart is corrupted and the powers of his 
soul are weakened by a habit of falling, when he desires 
and endeavors to reform his conduct, but has not the 
strength to do so, frequent Confession is to such a sinner 
a most powerful help — it is sometimes the only means 
that will be effectual of overcoming temptations. They 
whose repeated falls give them occasion to lament their 
weaknesses, but who cannot be induced to go to Con- 
fession oftener than once a year, must have great reason 
to apprehend that they are far from being really in earn- 
est about their salvation — that they are very indifferent 
— that they are worse than merely lukewarm. How sel- 
dom it is that this neglect of Confession is effectually 
corrected when once the habit of it has been contracted ? 
This is a negligence which generally grows upon those 
who are guilty of it, and too often accompanies them to 
their death-bed. With expressions of bitter regret they 
then resolve and promise to do better in future, if God 
will only spare them. But no sooner do they find that 
they have been spared, than, forgetting their resolutions, 
they become as negligent as before. 

II. What is the Fifth Commandment. of the Church? 

To receive the Blessed Sacrament once a year, and 
that at Easter or thereabouts. 

The Fifth Commandment of the Church requires us 
to receive the Holy Communion, in obedience to the 
general command of God; and it specifies a time, be- 
yond which we are not allowed to defer the reception of 
this Sacrament. 

That general command of God is evident from these 

In what cases is Confession a preservative? How should they 
feel who confess only once a year ? What does the Church require 
and specify in regard to Holy Communion ? 



224 FIFTH PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

words of Christ : " Amen, amen, I say unto you, except 
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his 
blood, you shall not have life in you." (John vi. 54.) 

At what age are Christians bound to receive the Blessed Sacra- 
ment ? 

When they are sufficiently capable of being instructed 
in that sacred mystery. 

Observe, the Catechism does not say, " When they are 
sufficiently instructed^' but " When they are sufficiently 
CAPABLE of being instructed^ For they are then bound 
to get instructed, and to make all necessary preparations 
for receiving the Holy Communion. Parents will have 
much to answer for if they suffer their children to neg- 
lect — and how many parents do ? The negligence of 
children is almost always traceable to neglect in parents. 
What a terrible account must await those parents who 
are guilty of such neglect ? 

Would it be a grievous sin to omit one's Easter-Communion ^ 
without necessity or some just cause ? 

Yes ; and the longer people neglect the more guilty they 
become. St. Alphonsus Liguori says, that " if any one 
has been prevented from communicating at Easter he is 
bound to communicate as soon afterward as he can — or 
at the earliest opportunity^ because both the divine and 
the ecclesiastical precept require him to do so." 

But if persons communicate at Easter, is that sufficient? 

It is as often as the Church positively commands, 
but not as often as she desires and advises, nor as often 
as our necessities require. The Holy Eucharist is called : 
"Our daily bread'" (Luke xi. 3); it is "the bread of 
life," given for the food and nourishment of our souls : 
" The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the 
world. . . . For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood 
is drink indeed." (John vi. 48, 52, 56.) Now, as the body 

Is there a general command to go to Communion? Why does 
the Catechism say, *' capable of being instructed?" Is it the desire 
of the Church that we communicate often ? Why ? 



SIXTH PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 225 

languishes and dies unless frequently nourished with 
corporeal food, so does the soul languish and lose its 
spiritual life if deprived of this bread of life. For so 
Christ declares : " Amen, amen, I say unto you, except 
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his 
blood, you shall not have life in you. '^^ (John vi. 54.) 

How many are there among the faithful who seem to 
make it a point to approach the Holy Communion once 
a year only ? But what can be thought of them, except 
that they are in a deplorable state of soul ? for, to whom 
are these terrifying words of the Apocalypse most strictly 
applicable : " I know thy works, that thou art neither 
cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or hot, but 
because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I 
will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth." (Apoc. iii. 

If such persons will only look well into their own 
hearts, and observe what passes there, it is to be feared 
that they w^ill find this threat already executed upon 
them; that they will find themselves deprived of the 
protecting and supporting- graces of God — left a prey to 
frequent and violent temptations, and repeatedly falling, 
so as to be continual slaves to their passions, etc. 

III. What is the Sixth Commandment of the Church? — Not to 
solemnize marriage at certain times, nor within certain degrees of 
kindred, nor privately without witnesses. 

1. Those forbidden times are, from the first Sunday in 
Advent to Epiphany, and from Ash-Wednesday to Low- 
Sunday, inclusive. These are times set apart for public 
penance, or for particular devotion. Marriages solemnized 
at these forbidden times are unlawful, but not invalid. 
It is not right to take any part in the solemnization of a 
marriage to which this prohibition of the Church applies. 

2. The Sixth Commandment of the Church forbids 
marriage between relations to the fourth degree of kin- 
dred. Brothers and sisters are the first degree from the 

What is the consequence of neglecting frequent communion? 
During what time is it forbidden to solemnize marriage? In what 
degree of relationship is marriage forbidden ? 

15 



226 SIXTH PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH. 

common stock; their children, or first cousins, are the 
second degree ; and so on to third cousins, who are the 
fourth degree and included in the prohibition. When 
the parties are not equally distant from the common stock 
from which both of them proceed, they are related to each 
other in the degree of the one who is farthest removed. 

It also forbids marriages between those who are within 
the fourth degree of affinity, arising from lawful marriage. 
Speaking of man and wife, our Blessed Lord says : " They 
are not two, but one flesh" (Matt. xix. 6); so that the 
relations of one of the parties by consanguinity are re- 
lated to the other party by affinity. An unlawful cohabita- 
tion creates the same kind of affinity, which prevents 
marriage with the relatives of each other to the second 
degree. Godfathers and godmothers contract a spiritual 
relationship or affinity with the person for whom they are 
sponsors, and also with the parents of that person, which 
prevents them from marrying any one of the three ; and 
this applies also to those who are sponsors in confirma- 
tion. 

IjQ all these cases the marriage would be null and void 
if celebrated without a dispensation. 

3. In places where the decree of the Council of Trent 
concerning clandestine marriages is in force, any mar- 
riage which is not contracted before the proper pastor 
of one of the parties and in the presence of at least two 
witness, is null and void. 

How are these degrees counted ? What is affinity? When does 
it prevent matrimony? What eflfect has the publication of the 
Council of Trent ? 



SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 227 

EXPLANATION 

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 



Instruction XLIV. 
On the Sacraments in General, 

What is a Sacrament? — A Sacrament is an outward sign of in- 
ward grace, or a sacred and mysterious sign and ceremony ordained 
by Christ, by which grace is conveyed to our souls. 

Do all the Sacraments give grace ? — Yes, to those who receive 
them with due dispositions. 

Whence have the Sacraments the power of giving grace ? — From 
Christ's precious blood. 

Is it a great happiness to receive the Sacraments worthily ? — Yes, 
it is the greatest happiness in the world. 

How many Sacraments are there ? — These seven : Baptism, Con- 
firmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, 
and Matrimony. 

Our eternal salvation depends very much on the use 
we make of the Sacraments, because they are the means 
of grace instituted by Christ our Lord for the sanctifica- 
tion of mankind. It is very important, therefore, that the 
Sacraments should be well understood by all Christians 
in order that .they may be able to receive them with 
greater advantage to their souls. 

I. The Essentials of a Sacrament. — What is a Sacrament? — 
A Sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace, or a sacred and 
mysterious sign and ceremony ordained by Christ, by which grace is 
conveyed to our souls. 

Three things are necessary to constitute a Sacrament : 
I. Some external sensible thing which is to be applied 
by the minister of the Sacrament while he pronounces 
a set form of words. All this is the sign or the outward 
part of the Sacrament. 2. This external thing, with the 
apphcation of it to the receiver (that is to say, the entire 
sign or outward part of the Sacrament), must both signify 
inward grace and have the power oi producing it in the 

Is it necessary that the Sacraments be well understood? Which 
are the three things that constitute a Sacrament ? 



228 SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 

soul. 3. This sign or outward part of the Sacrament 
must have been permanently instituted by Christ in his 
Church to be a means of producing grace. 

1. The Outward Sign. — An external sensible sign is 
something which we can see or hear, etc. — it is some- 
thing which can be perceived by our senses^ pointing out 
something else which we do not see or hear or perceive 
with any of our senses : for example, when we see smoke 
rising out of the top of a chimney we know by that out- 
ward sign that there is fire inside the house, although the 
fire itself is not perceived by any of our senses. The 
external sensible things with the application of it, is called 
the matter of the Sacrament ; the words which are pro- 
nounced at the same time by the minister applying the 
matter are called the form of the Sacrament. Thus, 
the matter of the Sacrament of Baptism is the water, 
with the application of it to the person who is being 
baptized [the water itself is the remote matter, and its 
application (or the ablution) is the proximate matter] and 
the form of this Sacrament is the sentence, " I baptize 
thee,'* etc., pronounced while the water is being poured. 
Withhold the word (says St. Augustine) and what is the 
water but mere water .'^ The word is joined to the ele- 
ment and it becomes a Sacrament.'* 

The union between the appUcation of the matter and 
the pronouncing of the form ought to be such that, ac- 
cording to the moral estimation of men, the words 
may be considered as affecting the matter and as consti- 
tuting with it one whole sign. 

Every Sacrament has a matter snidform, which are its 
outward part appHed by the person who administers the 
Sacrament. 

2. The Jnward Grace. — There is, also, in every Sacra- 
ment an inward part or grace^ given by Almighty God 
to the soul at the very same instant in which the out- 
ward part is performed. This inward grace is certain — 

What is an outward sign? What is the matter of a Sacrament ? 
What is the form? Is inward grace certainly produced ? 



SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 229 

it is infallibly produced in the soul of the person receiv- 
ing the Sacrament, unless he prevent it by putting some 
obstacle in the way : *^ If any one shall assert (says the 
Council of Trent) that the Sacraments of the New Law 
contain not the grace which they signify, or that they do 
not confer that grace upon those who put no obstacle 
in the way, let him be anathema." 
Why is this inward effect certain ? 

Because God has promised it and is faithful to his 
promises. Of Baptism, for instance, Christ has declared, 
saying : ** Unless a man be bo7'n again of water and of 
the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
God " (John hi. 5) ; but he that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved." (Mark xvi. 16.) Of the Holy Euchar- 
ist he has also promised : " He that eateth my flesh and 
drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him. . . . He 
hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last 
day." (John vi. 57, 55.) Of Penance likewise he has 
promised, saying to his ministers : " Whose sins you 
shall forgive, they are forgiven them,^^ (John xx. 23.) 
Of Extreme Unction : "And if he [the sick person] be 
in sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James v. 15.) 
Now, Christ says of his promises : " Heaven and earth 
shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away." 
(Mark xiii. 31.) For, " as the rain and the snow come 
down from heaven and return no more thither, but water 
the earth and make it to spring ,and give seed to the 
sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be which 
shall go forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me 
void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall pros- 
per in the thifigs for ivhich I sent itT (Is. Iv. 10, 11.) 

The outward part which is performed by the minister 
of the Sacrament is called a sign of the inward grace, 
because it signifies and represents outwardly what is done 
inwardly and invisibly in the soul. These sacramental 
signs (very different from others ) actually effect or give 

Why is the part performed by the minister called an outward 
sign ? Do Sacramental signs effect what they represent ? 



230 SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 

what they represent : for example, in baptism the appUca- 
tion of the water and the pronouncing of the accompany- 
ing words are a sign which not only represeitts the 
cleansing of the soul from sin, but actually effects that 
cleansing. 

3. The Institution of Christ. — A Sacrament must be an 
Institution of Christ : he is the Author of all the Sacra- 
ments. For no one but God can give to material things 
or to outward signs the power of producing grace in the 
soul. 

II. The Number of the Sacraments. — How many Sacra- 
ments has Christ instituted ? 

Seven. This is an Article of Faith : " If any one shall 
assert (says the Council of Trent) that the Sacraments 
of the New Law were not all of them instituted by Jesus 
Christ our Lord, or that there are more or fewer than 
seven, viz., Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, 
Extreme Unction, Order and Matrimony, or even that 
any one of these seven is not truly and properly a Sacra- 
ment, let him be anathema." (Cone. Trid., Sess. 7, de 
Sacr. in genere, can i.) 

These seven Sacraments supply the various wants of 
the spiritual life, corresponding to those of the temporal 
hfe. 

1. In order to Hve a temporal hfe we must be born. 
But we are born in a state of sin, and therefore before 
we can live the life of grace we must be purified from 
our guilt — we must receive a spiritual birth ; and this we 
receive by means of the Sacrament of Baptism. 

2. After being temporally born, we are for some time 
weak and helpless infants ; we have to grow up and ac- 
quire strength in order to be equal to the labors and 
duties which we shall have to perform. So, likewise, 
after being spiritually born, our life of grace is but weak 
and feeble — we are in a state of spiritual infancy. We 

Who is the author of all the Christian Sacraments ? How do the 
Sacraments correspond to the wants of temporal life ? How does 
Baptism ? How Confirmation ? How the Eucharist ? 



SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 231 

are, indeed, Christians and servants of Christ; but we 
have to become strong and perfect Christians and soldiers 
of Jesus Christ, and this we become by leceiving the 
Sacrament of Confirmation. 

3. As in the temporal Hfe we must be frequently sup- 
plied with nourishing food in order to preserve life and 
to maintain and increase our strength, for otherwise we 
should soon languish and die, so in order to maintain 
that spiritual life which we receive in Baptism and which 
is strengthened in Confirmation, we stand in need of 
a spiritual nourishment — -of a continued supply ot graces ; 
our souls must be frequently fed with ^^ the bread of life,'' 
and this is given to us in the Sacrament of the Holy 
Eucharist. 

4. But however strong and healthy we may have be- 
come, we are liable to be seriously or mortally wounded, 
or to lose our health and strength under the enfeebling 
influence of some disorder. We are liable to fall into 
such a state that even the very food which should ad- 
minister health and strength would become pernicious 
to us. We stand in need, therefore, of som.e healing 
remedy — of one that possesses the property of curing our 
wounds and of restoring to us the health which we have 
lost. Now (applying all this to the spiritual life), that 
necessary remedy capable of healing the wounds of 
mortal sin, of restoring us to the state of grace, and of 
enabling us again to partake of " the bread of life " with 
advantage to our souls, that necessary and healing 
remedy is provided for us in the Sacrament of Penance. 

5. But, after all, we must die. The sentence of death 
is passed upon all mankind, and sooner or later enfeebled 
nature must yield to the execution of that sentence. It 
is, then, difficult to avoid sinking under the pains, in- 
firmities, languor, etc., of our last sickness, and we need 
special consolation and special assistances. Spiritually, 
also, we are then in the greatest need, for the devil ex- 
erts himself then to the utmost of his power in tempting 

How does Penance ? How Extreme Unction ? 



232 SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 

US, especially to impatience and despair, and we being 
weakened by disease are less able to withstand his at- 
tacks; but the special consolation and support — the 
special assistances which we then need — are communi- 
cated to us in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. 

6. Society requires a government and administrators 
of the laws. So in Religion we stand in need of spirit- 
ual rulers, teachers and guides, and these are supplied, 
together with the powers and graces necessary for them, 
by the Sacrament of Holy Order. 

7. Marriage is necessary in order to supply children 
for succeeding generations, and as the general happiness 
of mankind and the temporal good of society (being 
composed chiefly of married persons) depend very much 
on the proper discharge of the duties of the married 
state, and especially on the manner in which parents 
bring up their children, so the Sacrament of Matrimony 
has been instituted to give to married persons the graces 
which are required for the due fulfilment of their duties 
and for training up their children religiously^ so that they 
may thus people the Church with good Christia?ts and 
heaven with Saints. 

You see how these seven Sacraments serve to sanctify 
every stage and conditio7i of life ; how you ought, there- 
fore, to thank God for having instituted them, and also 
how inexcusable you are if you live and die in sin. 

III. The Minister of the Sacraments. — Christ 
havmg instituted the Sacraments, left the administration 
of them to priests, who are ordained *^ for the work of 
the ministry." (Eph. iv. 12.) And whether the minis- 
ter of a Sacrament be virtuous or wicked, it produces 
the same effects in the receiver. All that is necessary in 
the minister for conferring the Sacraments validly is : 

1. That he have the power of administering them. 

2. That he \\diVQ jurisdiction with regard to those Sacra- 
How does Holy Order? How Matrimony? To whom did 

Christ leave the administration of the Sacraments ? What is neces- 
sary in the minister to confer ih^ra validly? 



SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 233 

ments which require it. 3. That he perform all the 
essential xitt^. 4. That he have "a;^ ^*«/^;^//(?;^ of at least 
doing what the Church does." (Cone. Trid., Sess. 7, de 
Sacr. in genere, can. 11 et 12.) 

IV. The Effects of the Sacraments. — All the 
Sacraments give grace to those who receive them with 
due dispositions. 

It is of the nature of two of them, viz., Baptism and 
Penance, to give \h^ first grace — i. e., to produce sancti- 
fying grace in those who are destitute of it ; they put 
sinners in a state of grace; they raise souls that are dead 
in sin to the life of grace (hence, they are called Sacra- 
ments of the dead). It is of the nature of the other five 
to increase sanctifying grace in those who already possess 
it, for the worthy reception of these five requires 2i previ- 
ous state of grace (hence, they are called Sacraments of 
the living). Nevertheless, there may be circumstances 
in which even these five confer the first grace ; that is, 
they may restore us, like the Sacrament of Penance, to 
the state of graced 

Besides thus producing or increasing sanctifying grace, 
each Sacrament gives a grace proper to itself, called 
sacramental grace. Thus, Baptism gives a spiritual 
birth, or the life of grace, making us Christians and heirs 
of heaven ; Confirmation gives us the Holy Ghost, with 
his sevenfold gifts ; the Holy Eucharist gives us Christ 
himself, the Author of all grace, for the food and nour- 
ishment of our souls; Penance cancels the sins com- 
mitted after Baptism, and reconciles us again to God ; 
Extreme Unction gives us the grace of patience and 
resignation in our last sickness, the grace of resisting 
temptations to despair, and of making due preparation 
for death; Holy Order gives the power of the priest- 
hood, and grace to discharge properly the functions of 
it; Matrimony confers such grace as is required for the 
fulfillment of the duties of the married state. 

What are the effects of the Sacraments ? What effects belong par- 
ticularly to Baptism and Penance ? What to the other five ? Has 
each Sacrament a special grace ? Explain the various effects ? 



234 SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 

The Sacraments produce grace through the merits of 
yesus Christ: through his merits they produce it of 
themselves^ by virtue of their very institution^ and not by 
virtue of the merits either of him who administers them 
or of him who receives them. In order to receive the 
grace of a Sacrament, it is, indeed, necessary to be in 
good dispositions ; but those dispositions do not pro- 
duce the grace, they only remove the obstacles which 
would otherwise prevent its reception. For example, a 
room, in order to receive Hght, must have a window, or 
some aperture in the wall through which the light may 
pass, yet the window does not make the light, but only 
removes the obstacles to its entering. 

When a Sacrament is knowingly received without the 
necessary good dispositions — i. e., when it is received un- 
worthily — it then stamps upon the soul the guilt of Sac- 
rilege, 

V. The Reiteration of the Sacraments. — Can each Sacra- 
ment be received more than once ? 

Three of them, viz.. Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy 
Order, can be received only once during life, and the 
reason is, because they imprint a character^ or spiritual 
mark on the soul which can never be cancelled. (Cone. 
Trid., Sess. 7, de Sacr. in genere, can 9.) This spiritual 
mark or character consecrates the soul to God in a 
special manner, for his servants^ for his soldiers^ for his 
ministers. It will add to our glory and happiness in 
heaven, or to our disgrace and misery in hell. How 
careful, therefore, each one should be to fulfill the obli- 
gations which these Sacraments impose. Extreme Unc- 
tion can be received as often as we are in danger of 
death by sickness^ but not twice in the same danger. The 
Sacrament of Matrimony cannot be repeated while both 
the parties live, but if one die it can be received again 
by the surviving party. 

The Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist can 

Through whose merits do the Sacraments have their effect ? What 
effect have dispositions ? When is the soul guilty of sacrilege ? 



BAPTISM. 235 

be received very often, and even daily. We should pre- 
pare ourselves for that of Penance whenever we have had 
the unhappiness of falling into mortal sin^ and we should 
freqtie7itly partake of " the bread of life " in the Holy 
Communion. 

Exhortation. — The Sacraments were instituted for 
the sanctification of our souls : they are the means ap- 
pointed by God for this purpose. In vain, therefore, do 
you hope for sanctification or salvation if you will not 
make use of the Sacraments — if you neglect the means 
of obtaining that which you hope for. And yet how 
general is such neglect ! How many are there whom 
no exhortations, no entreaties of their Pastors, can in- 
duce to have recourse to the Sacraments, those life- 
giving institutions of God's mercy and goodness, and 
who thus live in the most imminent danger of dying 
without sanctifying grace, and of losing their souls ! 

Most earnestly, therefore, do I exhort you to make a 
proper use of these efficacious means of grace, and, in 
particular, to approach very frequently to the Sacraments 
of Penance and Holy Communion, and to be diligent 
and devout in preparing yourselves for them ; then will 
you obtain from these divine institutions such graces as 
will enable you to ''avoid evil and do good" (Ps. xxxiii. 
15) — such graces as will enable you to say with St. Paul: 
" I live ; now not /, but Christ liveth in me^ (Gal. ii. 
20.) 

Why should you use and frequent the Sacraments ? 



Instruction XLV. 

BAPTISM. 

Baptism is a true Sacrament — its Effects — its Minister — 
its Necessity — the Preparation required in Adults — 
Sponsors — Ceremo7iies. 

What is Baptism 9 — Baptism is a Sacrament by which we are made 
Christians, children of God, and heirs of heaven, and are cleSinsed 
from original sin, and also from actual sin if we be guilty of any. 



286 BAPTISM. , 

How is Baptism given ? — By pouring water on the child, while 
we pronounce the words ordained by Christ. 

What are those words 9 — **I baptize thee in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," which words must 
be said at the same time the water is poured. 

What do we promise in Baptism? — To renounce the devil, with 
all his works and pomps. 

The design of this Sacrament is to cleanse the soul 
from original sin, and also from actual sins, if any have 
been committed previous to its reception \ to make us 
Christians and members of the Church, and to give us 
a right to the other Sacraments. It confers upon us a 
new or spiritual birth, whereby we become children of 
God and heirs of his kingdom. 

I. Baptism is a true Sacrament. — It has all that 
is necessary to constitute a Sacrament. For, 

1. There is the "outward Sign'' (or the outward part 
which the minister performs), viz., the pouring of the 
water, and the pronouncing of the words. The water 
used in Baptism must be natural water, such as rain 
water, or that which is taken from a well, or a river, or 
the sea. It must be poured on the head, if possible, and 
in sufficient quantity to run, or so as that it may truly 
verify the words, " I baptize thee," i. e., I wash thee. 
The words must be said at the same time the water .is 
being poured ; all of them must be said, and by that 
person who pours the water. There is, then, in this 
Sacrament the matter and the fo7-m, which are its out- 
ward Sign. . 

2. There is the '' inward Grace " (or that inward in- 
visible part which God gives), viz., that sacramental 
grace whereby the soul is cleansed from all stain of 
original and actual sin, and restored to spotless inno- 
cence : " Do penance and be baptized every one of you, 
. . . for the remission of your sins." (Acts ii. 2)^^ " Rise 
up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins." (Acts 
xxii. i6.) "Christ loved the Church, and dehvered 
himself up for it, that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by 

W#iat is the design of Baptism ? How do you prove that Bap- 
tism has the four conditions of a Sacrament ? 



BAPTISM. 287 

the laver of water in the word of Hfe." (Eph. v. 25, 26.) 
This grace, or inward cleansing of the soul, is signified 
by the outward sign of Baptism, which is called a sign 
for this very reason. 

3. There is the " I?istitution of Christ.'' For he insti- 
tuted it when he commissioned his Apostles to adminis- 
ter it, saying to them : " Going therefore teach all na- 
tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt, xxviii. 19.) 

II. Effects of Baptism. — Besides that inward sacra- 
mental grace which has just been mentioned, whereby 
the soul is cleansed from all stain of sin and put in a 
state of sanctifying grace, there are also other inward 
graces or effects. For, 

1 . By Baptism we are freed, not only from guilt, but 
also from the temporal punishment due to sin. 

2. We are adorned with the Theological virtues of 
Faith, Hope, and Charity, which are infused into the 
soul. 

3. A Character, or spiritual mark, is imprinted on the 
soul, which consecrates us to God as Christians and 
servants of Christ, and which, being indelible, prevents 
this Sacrament from being received more than once. 

4. A right is given us to the other Sacraments ; and 
a title to the kingdom of heaven. 

But though Baptism destroys all guilt of sin, and the 
temporal punishment due to it, yet the soul remains 
subject to concupiscence, and human infirmity. 

And why so ? 

To keep us humble ; to detach our hearts from the 
love of this life ; to make us sigh after heaven ; to try 
our fideUty to God in resisting temptations, etc. 

III. Minister of Baptism. — The proper minister 
of this Sacrament is a Bishop or Priest, or Deacon, if 
he be duly commissioned for the purpose. No other 
person can baptize solemnly or with the ceremonies ; nor 

Which are the four effects of Baptism? Who is the proper min- 
ister of Baptism ? Who in case of necessity ? 



238 BAPTISM. 

can others lawfully baptize, except in cases of necessity. 
But, in cases of necessity, when a Priest cannot be had, 
any person (man or woman) may baptize; and not only 
may^ but must^ rather than let any one die without Bap- 
tism. Consequently, all persons should know how to 
baptize. 

IV. Necessity of Baptism. — Is Baptism necessary for salva- 
tion? 

Yes \ it is the most necessary of all the Sacraments. 
We are not members of the Church without it, nor even 
Christians, nor can we receive any of the other Sacra- 
ments until we have received this. Its necessity is 
plainly declared in the Scriptures. For, 

1. Our Blessed Lord assures us that we cannot, be 
saved without Baptism : "Amen, amen, I say to thee, 
unless a man be born again of water and the Holy 
Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
(John iii. 5.) 

2. When giving commission to his Apostles to 
"preach the Gospel to every creature," our Lord 
added ; " He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved." (Mark xvi. 15, 16.) This shows that Baptism 
is a necessary condition of salvation. 

3. After St. Peter's first sermon, the people who were 
converted by it said to the Apostles : " What shall we 
do, men and brethren ? But Peter said to them : Do 
penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of 
Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins." (Acts ii. 

37, 3S ) 

4. When St. Paul, on his way to Damascus, cried 
out : " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " the Lord 
said to him : "Arise, and go to Damascus ; and there it 
shall be told thee of all things that thou 7fiust do." And 
when he came to Damascus, Ananias said to him : 
" Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins'' 
(Acts xxii. 10-16.) 

Is it impossible, then, in any case, to be savexi without being 
actually baptized ? 



BAPTISM. 239 

No ; for when a person cannot be actually baptized, 
then martyrdom, or an ardent desire of Baptism, accom- 
panied with faith and true repentance, may supply its 
place. In these cases, the person is said to be baptized 
in his own bloody or in desire. 

What becomes of children who die unbaptized? 

It has not been revealed where they go to ; but they 
are certainly excluded from heaven — from the beatific 
vision. Hence, how careful parents should be to have 
their children baptized ! 

V. Preparation for Baptism. — Children, of course, 
can make no preparation, nor is any required of them; 
but they who have come to the use of reason before they 
are baptized, must get instructed in the doctrines of the 
Church, and must believe them. " He that believeth 
and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, 
shall be condemned." (Mark xvi. i6.) " Going, there- 
fore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt, 
xxviii. 19.) They must also have true repentance, and 
resolve to lead a Christian life: ^^ Do pe?tance, and be 

baptized every one of you, for the remission of 

your sins." (Acts ii. 38.) 

. VI. Sponsors. — A Godfather and Godmother are 
provided for those who are baptized. 
Why so ? 

To answer and promise in the child's name ; to be 
sureties for the fulfilment of the baptismal promises ; to 
be the instructors of their godchild, in case the parents 
should neglect their duty in this respect, or be prevented 
by death, or otherwise, from performing it. Hence, 
Sponsors must be themselves sufficiently instructed; 
they must lead a Christian life ; and must be, at least, 
Easter-Communicants : otherwise they cannot be ad- 
mitted as sponsors. They contract a spiritual relation- 
ship with their godchild, and also with its parents, 

Who can make no preparation for Baptism ? Who should prepare ? 



240 BAPTISM. 

which prevents them from marrying either one or the 
other. 

VII. Ceremonies. — Hmv is Baptism given ? — By pouring water 
on the. child, while we pronounce the words ordained by Christ. 

Having explained the Sacrament of Baptism, it re- 
mains now to say a few words on the Ceremonies used 
in its administration. 

All the Sacraments are accompanied with Ceremonies, 
instituted by Christ or his Church for good reasons. 

For what reasons ? 

To give greater solemnity to their administration ; to 
serve as outward expressions of those inward disposi- 
tions which are required ; to present the mysteries of 
Rehgion in a sensible manner to the eyes of the people. 
All the Ceremonies of the Church are full of useful 
meaning. 

The Ceremonies used in Baptis7n are all taken, either 
from the Scriptures, or from some important truth of 
Religion. Some of them serve to represent the disposi- 
tions for receiving Baptism ; some its beneficial effects ; 
and some its obligations. Therefore ail Christians should 
know them. 

Of these Ceremonies, ^oxa^ precede Xh^ essential act of 
Baptism, some accompany it, and ^ovat follow it. 

I . The Ceremo7iies i^mnediately preceding Baptism : 

First. The Child, or person to be baptized, stops at 
the porch or door of the church ; and there the Priest 
declares the advantages and obligations of the faith 
which is asked of the Church of God. 

Secondly. The Priest breathes on the face of the child, 
saying : " Depart from him, unclean spirit ; and give 
place to the Holy Spirit." For, as Almighty God, 
when he created Adam, "breathed into his face the 
breath of life; and man became a living Soul," (Gen. ii. 
7 ;) so Baptism (as the ceremony represents), causes the 

Whence are the Ceremonies of Baptism tsken ? Explain the cer- 
emonies which precede Baptism. First, secondly. 



BAPTISM. 241 

soul that is dead in sin, to become " a living soul," by 
conferring sanctifying grace. 

Thirdly. The Priest makes a cross upon the forehead, 
to teach us that we are not to be ashamed of the cross 
of Christ ; and also upon the breast to signify that we 
are to cherish an affection for it in our hearts. 

Fourthly. He puts into the mouth a few grains of 
blessed salt, saying : *' Receive the salt of wisdom." 
For salt is an emblem of wisdom \ hence, Christ says to 
his Apostles: ^^You are the' salt of the earth." (Matt. 

Fifthly. He exorcises the child, commanding the devil 
to depart from him ; and then introduces him into the 
church, going to the fount (if there be one) ; and the 
Sponsors recite with the Priest the '^Apostles' Creed," 
and the '' Our Father." 

Sixthly. He touches the ears and nostrils with spittle, 
saying: " Ephpheta," which is, " Be opened." This is 
taken from the example of Christ, who did the same 
when he cured the deaf and dumb man. (Mark vii. 

32-35-) 

Seventhly, He interrogates the child, saying : " Dost 

thou renounce Satan ? and all his works ? and all his 

pomps ? " The Sponsors answer in its name : "I do 

renounce him ; I do renounce them.'* This is a public, 

solemn and binding engagement. 

Eighthly., The priest anoints the child on the breast 
and betw^een the shoulders, saying : " I anoint thee with 
the oil of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is in 
accordance with what God directed Moses to do : "Thou 
shalt consecrate all (the things dedicated to the divine 
service) with the oil of unction that they may be most 
holy." (Exod. xi. ii.) 

Ninthly^ The priest inquires concerning faith in the 
Blessed Trinity and in the Incarnation, saying : " Dost 
thou beHeve," etc. ( i Pet. ii. 9.) The Sponsors answer : 
" I do believe." For an explicit belief of these mysteries 

Thirdly, fourthly, fifthly, sixthly, seventhly, eighthly, ninthly, 
tenthly ? 

16 



242 BAPTISxM. 

is necessary for the child when he shall come to the use 
of reason. 

Tenthly, He asks: "Wilt thou be baptized?" To 
which the Sponsors answer: " I will." 

2. The Ceremonies accompanying the act of Baptism : 

Then the priest baptizes the child. In doing which he 
pours the water three times on the head of the child, 
each time in the form of a cross ; and while he is pour- 
ing the water he says: " ISP., I baptize thee in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
The water he uses is blessed according to the form pre- 
scribed in the Ritual. 

When a lay person baptizes, he does not use this 
blessed water. AH that such a person has to do is this : 
Take common water and pour it upon the head of the 
child, and at the same time say these words : " 1 baptize 
thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost." 

3. 2 he Ceremonies immediately following the Baptism : 
Firsts The priest anoints the child with the chrism on 

the crown of the head, and thus are the members of the 
Church consecrated to God ; so that it may be said of 
them, in the words of St. Peter: "You are a chosen 
generation, a holy nation." (i Pet. ii. 9.) 

Secofidly^ The child is clothed with a white garment — 
the emblem of spotless innocence. In delivering it, the 
priest says: " Receive this white garment and see thou 
carry it without stain before the judgment-seat of our 
Lord Jesus Christ that thou mayest have eternal life." 

Thirdly, Then the priest gives a lighted taper, saying: 
" Receive this burning light and keep thy baptism so as 
to be without blame; keep the commandments of God, 
that when the Lord shall come to the nuptials thou mayst 
meet him in the company of all the saints in the heavenly 
court and have eternal life and live forever and ever." This 
lighted taper is an emblem of \hQ light of faith, and also of 

How does a priest baptize ? How a lay person ? Explain the 
ceremonies immediately following baptism — firstly, secondly, thirdly. 



CONFIRMATION. 243 

good example. Thus Christ says : " So let your hght shine 
before men, that they may see your good works and 
glorify your Father who is in heaven." ^Matt. v. i6.) 

Fourthly, The priest concludes by saying: " N., go in 
peace, and the Lord be with thee." 

Exhortation. — As you have had the happiness of 
receiving Baptism, you should frequently thank God for 
this great blessing. You should think on the promises 
you then made and resolve to fulfil them ; but if yoii have 
broken them, lament the loss of your baptismal inno- 
cence ; lose no time in recovering it by sincere repent- 
ance, and approach to the Sacrament of Penance for 
this purpose : " Delay ?iot to be converted to the Lord, 
and defer it not from day to day, for his wrath shall 
come on a sudden, and in the time of vengeance he will 
destroy thee. 



Instruction XLVL 

CONFIRMATION. 

Confirmation is a true Sacrament — its Effects — its Minis- 
ter — its Necessity — the Preparation^ required — Cere- 
monies. 

What is Confirmation ? — Confirmation is a Sacrament by which 
we receive the Holy Ghost in order to make us strong and perfect 
Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. 

What is the ordinary Minister of this Sacrament '^ — A Bishop 
only. 

llaiv does the Bishop administer the Sacrament? — He prays that 
the Holy Ghost may come down upon us, he imposes his hands 
over us and makes the sign of the cross with chrism on our fore- 
heads, at the same time pronouncing a set form of words. 

What are these words ^ — ** I sign thee with the sign of the cross. 
I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

The great object of the Sacrament of Confirmation is 
to complete the life of grace received in baptism — by 

Fourthly. What should a baptized person do? 



244 CONFIRM ATION. 

giving the Holy Ghost, with his sevenfold gifts, to dwell 
in our souls, to strengthen our faith and to enable us to 
withstand whatever oppositions, we may meet with in the 
practice of our religion. 

The Catechism of the Council of Trent says : " If the 
diligence of pastors in explaining the Sacrament of Con- 
firmation were ever required, certainly there is need in 
these times to put it in as clear a light as possible, seeing 
that this Sacrament is wholly neglected by many in God's 
holy Church, and that there are very few who endeavor 
to draw from it that fruit of grace which they ought. 
Wherefore the Faithful are to be in such a manner in- 
structed concerning the nature, the efficacy and the 
dignity of this Sacrament that they may not only know 
that it must not be neglected, but that it is to be received 
with the greatest piety and devotion, lest through their 
own fault and to their extreme spiritual injury this divine 
benefit be conferred on them in vain." (Cat. Cone. Trid. 
de Sacr. Confirm., n. i.) 

I. Confirmation is a true Sacrament. — It has 
those three things which are essential to the nature of a 
Sacrament. For, 

I. There is the ''• outward sign " (or that part which is 
outwardly performed by the Bishop), viz., the Bishop im- 
poses his hands over all that are to be confirmed, pray- 
ing the Holy Ghost to come down upon them with his 
sevenfold gifts. Then, as the essential matter and form, 
he lays his right hand upon the head of each one, and 
with the thumb of the same hand he anoints the fore- 
head with the holy chrism, saying at the same time : " I 
sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee 
with the chrism of salvation in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. All this is the 
outward sign or visible part of the Sacrament of Con- 
firmation. 

What is the object of Confirmation ? What does the Catechism 
of the Council of Trent say about Confirmation ? Can you prove 
that Confirmation has the three things essential to the nature of 
a Sacrament. 



CONFIRMATION. 245 

2. There is the ''inward grace ^^ (or that part which is 
invisibly performed by God), viz., the Holy Ghost, with 
his gifts and strengthening graces, is in a special manner 
given to the soul. For the Scripture says of this Sacra- 
ment: "The Apostles (Peter and ]o\iri) prayed ior them 
(the Samaritans) that they might receive the Holy Ghost ; 
then they laid their hands upon them and they received 
the Holy Ghosts (Acts viii. 15, 17.) 

These inward graces are sig?tijied and represented by the 
outward sign. For the imposing of the hand over the 
person who is being confirmed represents the imparting 
of the Holy Ghost, and the anointing with chrism, say- 
ing, " I sign thee with the sign of the cross and I con- 
firm thee with the chrism of salvation in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," signifies 
both t\iQ fullness and the nature of the grace received. 
Chrism is oil of olives mixed with balm of Gilead, sol- 
emnly consecrated by the Bishop on Maunday Thurs- 
day. The oil of which it is composed represents fulness 
of grace, because it is of such a nature that it easily 
flows, and spreads^ and penetrates^ and, being a smooth 
and mild substance, it represents also the spirit of patience 
in bearing contradictions and oppositions. And the 
balm of Gilead^ of which the chrism is also composed, 
represents, by reason of its fragrance, the practice of a 
virtuous life, which is called in Scripture " an odor of 
sweetness of the Most High" (Eccli. xxxv. 82; 2 Cor. 
ii. 15); and, as it possesses, moreover, the property 
of preserving bodies from putrefaction, it represents 
thereby that the grace of Confirmation has the effect of 
preserving the soul from the corruption of sin. Thus, 
then, the outward part of this Sacrament is a sign of the 
inward graces which it confers. 

3. There is the Institution of Christ, That this Sacra- 
ment was instituted by Christ is proved from the fact 
that the Apostles administered it as a means of grace. In 
the Acts of the Apostles it is related that after the Samari- 
tans had been baptized b^ Philip the Deacon, the iVpos- 
tles sent to them Peter and John, who, when they were 



246 CONFIRMATION. 

come, " prayed for them that they might receive the 
Holy Ghost ; then they laid their hands upon them and 
they received the Holy Ghost." (Acts viii. 15, 17.) 

II. Effects of Confirmation. — Like all the other 
Sacraments, Confirmation produces sanctifying grace, 
but {di^ peculiar to Confirmation or as sacramental) it is 
the grace of spiritual growth and strength ; that is to 
say, it is a grace which augments and perfects that of 
Baptism, and streiigthens us against the enemies of our 
salvation — it renders us perfect Christians and makes us 
soldiers of Jesus Christ. 

This Sacrament gives us the plenitude of the Holy 
Spirit, who adorns and enriches our souls with those in- 
terior graces with which he sanctified and strengthened 
the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. For in this Sac- 
rament we receive the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Ghost: 
viz., '•''the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit 
of counsel a7id of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of 
godliness, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord,^^ (Is. xi. 
2, 3.) These gifts are certain supernatural dispositions 
or habits of soul imparted to us by the Holy Ghost, and 
they lead us to act according to the inspirations and 
motions of his grace, which inspirations and motions of 
grace are given to us in those particular times and cir- 
cumstances when we stand in need of them, or when 
they will be of service to us. \See Instruction LXXI., 
where these seve?i Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and^ the twelve 
Fruits which they produce in the soul are explained. 

Although Confirmation is a Sacrament of the livings 
it may, nevertheless, produce even the first grace ; that 
is, it may restore us, like the Sacrament of Penance, to 
the State of grace. 

There is another effect of Confirmation, similar to 
what is produced in Baptism and Holy Order, which is, 
that it imprints a character or spiritual mark on the 
soul which can never be effaced. This spiritual charac- 

What are the effects of Confirmation ? Can it ever produce the 
first grace ? 



CONFIRMATION. 247 

ter distinguishes us as the Soldiers of Christ ; and, abid- 
ing in the soul forever, it will either add to our glory 
and happiness in heaven, or to our disgrace and misery 
in hell. 

III. Minister of Confirmation. — ;It is an Article 
of Faith, that the ordinary Minister of Confirmation is a 
Bishop only, (Cone. Trid., Sess. 7, de Confirm, can. 3.) 
He is called the ordinary minister, because the adminis- 
tration of this Sacrament belongs to the proper office of 
a Bishop, so that he can confirm his own subjects with- 
out needing to be specially delegated for the purpose. 
But it belongs not to the proper office of a Priest; so 
that, if he should be empowered to confirm, he would 
act as the extraordinary minister of this Sacrament. In 
cases of necessity, the Pope can delegate or commission 
a Priest to administer Confirmation. But a Priest can- 
not administer it without this special papal delegation. 

IV. Necessity OF Confirmation? — Is it necessary for everj 
one to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation ? 

The reception of this Sacrament is not so necessary 
as to be an essential means of salvation {non est neces- 
saria necessitate medii)^ but it is, nevertheless, so neces- 
sary to be received that it cannot be wilfully neglected 
without a grievous sin. *^ This opinion (says St. Al- 
phonsus Liguori) must be followed, as having been de- 
cided by Pope Benedict XIV. in a Bull concerning the 
Greeks, wherein he says : ' They {who are not confirmed^ 
are to be admonished by the Bishops that they contract 
the guilt of a grievous sin if they refuse and neglect to 
receive Confirmation when they have an opportunity.'" 
And this is especially true in a persecuting country, or 
in a country like this, where Catholic faith and practice 
are so much opposed and ridiculed by those among 
whom we live. 

In the Apostles we have a striking example of the 

Does it impress a character on the soul ? Who is the ordinary 
minister, and who the extraordinary minister of Confirmation? Should 
all be confirmed ? What special reason have we in America ? 



248 CONFIRMATION. 

necessity, or extreme utility, of receiving the special 
graces of the Holy Ghost, such as are conferred upon 
us in Confirmation. The Apostles had been three years 
with Christ, had seen his miracles, heard his instructions, 
witnessed his example, etc., yet they had not courage to 
profess and practice what he required from them : they 
even forsook him, denied him, durst not show them- 
selves in public, or appear to be his Disciples. But no 
sooner did they receive the Holy Ghost, with his gifts 
and graces, than their minds were enlightened and their 
hearts inflamed — they were filled with zeal and courage ; 
and being " thus endued with power from on high " 
(Luke xxiv. 49), they boldly professed, publicly preached, 
and courageously and even joyfully suffered for the Re- 
ligion which they professed and preached. The Sacra- 
ment of Confirmation works the like beneficial effects in 
the souls of those who receive it worthily. 

V. Preparation for Confirmation. — To receive 
Confirmation worthily it is necessary to make a good 
preparation. 

In what does this preparation consist? 

It consists chiefly in these three things : 

1. In getting sufficiently instructed in the nature, 
effects, etc., of this Sacrament, and in our Religion gen- 
erally. Hence, they who are about to be confirmed 
should attend the preparatory instructions, 

2. In putting one's self in a state of grace. For " the 
Holy Spirit will not enter into a malicious soul nor dwell 
in a body subject to sins." (Wisd. i. 4, 5.) Therefore, 
every one who is conscious of sin should receive worthily 
the Sacrament of Penance. 

3. In spending some time in prayer previous to the 
reception of Confirmation, after the example of the 
Apostles, who from Ascension-day to Pentecost '' were 
persevering w^th one mind in prayer with Mary the 
Mother of Jesus." (Actsi. 14.) Therefore they who are 
about to be confirmed should be more recollected and 

Can you prove this from the examples of the Apostles ? 



CONFIRMATION. 249 

retired ; should frequently invite the Holy Ghost to come 
into their souls by the communication of his graces, and 
for this purpose it would be well to say occasionally the 
"Hyrmis to the Holy Ghost'' They should desire ardently 
and implore earnestly the plenitude of those strengthen- 
ing graces which Confirmation is intended to confer, for 
"}'Our heavenly Father will give the good Spirit to them 
that ask him." (Luke xi. i8.) 

VI. Ceremonies of Confirmation. — I have now to 
say a few words on the Ceremonies of Confirmation. 

How does the Bishop administer this Sacrament '^ — He prays that 
the Holy Ghost may come down upon us; he imposes his hands 
over us, and makes the sign of the cross with chrism on our fore- 
heads, at the same time pronouncing a set form of words. 

1 . The Bishop, turning toward the people, imposes his 
hands over those who are to be confirmed, and prays 
that God would send down upon them the Holy Ghost, 
the Paraclete, with his sevenfold gifts. The people, 
uniting their intention with that of the Bishop, should 
make the same supplication for themselves. 

2. Then they go and kneel one by one before the 
Bishop, who dips the thumb of his right hand in the 
holy chrism, and laying that hand upon the head of the 
person kneeling before him, he anoints his forehead with 
the chrism in form of a cross, saying at the same time : 
" N., I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I con- 
firm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
By this we are admonished that we must not be ashamed 
of the Cross of Christ \ but boldly profess our faith, and 
fight manfully under the standard of the cross against all 
the enemies of our salvation. 

3. This being done, the Bishop gives a slight blow on 
the cheek of him whom he has just confirmed, to remind 
him that, being now a perfect Christian and a soldier of 
Jesus Christ, he ought to be prepared to sufier any kind 
of contempt, of insult, and of humiliation for the name 

What is the first part of the Ceremonies of Confirmation ? What 
is the second ? What is the third ? 



250 HOLY EUCHARIST— I. 

of Christ. The Bishop says, at the same time : " Peace 
be with thee," to give him to understand that it is only 
by his patience that he can preserve his peace of soul : 
** In your patience (says our Lord) you shall possess 
your souls." 

4. The Bishop then begs of God to confirm the bless- 
ing which has been conferred, saying: "Confirm, O 
God, what thou hast wrought in us." (Ps. Ixvii. 29.) 
And he prays that the Holy Ghost, having come down 
upon them, would vouchsafe to dwell in their hearts, as 
in his holy temple. And he concludes by giving his 
Episcopal benediction. The persons confirmed should 
make the like petitions for themselves ; and, moreover, 
they should spend some time after Confirmation in 
thanksgiving and prayer, in the same manner as after 
the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. 

If a person after having been confirmed unhappily 
falls into mortal sin, and thereby loses the grace of this 
Sacrament, he can recover it by sincere repentance and 
penance; because it revives in the soul when she is 
clothed again with the robe of sanctifying grace. 



Instruction XL VI I. 

HOLY EUCHARIST. 

The Outward Sign of the Holy Eucharist — its Inward 
Grace — its Institution^ the Scriptural Account of which 
proves the Real Presence — Objections answered. 

What is the Holy Eucharist? — It is the true body and blood of 
Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine. 

Why has Christ given hijnself to us in this Sacrament? — To feed 
and nourish our souls,' and to enable us to perform all our Christian 
duties. 

The Holy Eucharist is the greatest of all the Sacra- 
ments, because we receive therein not only grace^ but 
Jesus Christ himself, the Author of all grace. 

What is the fourth ? 



HOLY EUCHARIST— I. 251 

Its object is " to feed and nourish our souls," in order 
that the hfe of grace which we received in Baptism, and 
which was strengthened and perfected in Confirmation, 
may be preserved and increased : " I am the Hving 
bread, which came down from heaven ; if any man eat 
of this bread, he shall live forever : and the bread that I 
will give is my flesh for the life of the world." (John vi. 
51.) The Holy Eucharist is intended to do for the soul 
what corporeal food does for the body. 

The Blessed Eucharist is a true Sacrament; that is to 
say, it is an outward sign of i?iward grace, i?istituted by 
Christ. 

I. There is the "outward sign" (or the visible, sen- 
sible part), viz., the bread a7id wine — the words of conse- 
ciation which are pronounced over them — and l\iQ species 
or outward appeara^ices of bread and wine, which appear- 
ances remain after consecration. 

n. There is the " inward grace" (or the inward, in- 
visible part), viz., the body and blood of Christ, together 
with his soul and Divinity; that is to say, Jesus Christ 
himself, the Author of all grace, who gives himself to us 
in this Sacrament to feed and nourish our souls. 

This inward grace or spiritual nourishment) is signified 
by the outward sign. For as bread and wine are the 
food and nourishment of the body, so their outward 
appearances, which remain after consecration, represent 
the spiritual food and inward nourishment of the soul — 
they represent that "bread of life of which whosoever 
eateth shall Hve forever." (John vi. 48, 51, 52.) 

in. There is the Institution of Christ And as 
the Scriptural account of its institution, besides proving 
that it was instituted by Christ, proves also the doctrine 
of the Real Presence, i. e., that this Sacrament does 
really contain the body and blood of Christ, under the 
outward appearances of bread and wine, I will relate 
that account from the first promise of this Divine Insti- 
tution to its final accomplishment. 

Which is the greatest of all the Sacraments ? What is its ob- 
ject ? Can you prove it has all that constitutes a true Sacrament ? 



252 HOLY EUCHARIST— I. 

I. The Words of Promise. — Though our Lord did not 
institute this Sacrament till the night before .his Passion, 
he had long promised it. He took occasion from the 
miraculous multiplication of the five loaves to make this 
promise. For after having prepared the minds of the 
people for this mystery, by feeding five thousand persons 
with five loaves, he said to them : " Labor not for the 
meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto 
life everlasting, which the Son of Man will give you. . . . 
I am the living bread which came down from heaven ; if 
any man eat of this bread he shall live forever : and the 
bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world!' 
(John vi. 27, 51, 52.) 

The Jews understood him to speak of giving them his 
real flesh: this is evident from the objection which they 
instantly made, saying : " How can this man give us his 
FLESH to eat?'' (John vi. 53.) 

In answer to this objection, far from explaining away 
his words, he confirmed them by the most positive 
declarations : 

" Then Jesus said to them : Amen, amen, I say unto 
you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and 
drink his bloody you shall not have life in you." 

*' He that eateth my fleshy and drinketh my bloody 
hath everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last 
day. 

*^ For my flesh is meat indeed; and my blood \s drink 

INDEED. 

"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloody 
abideth in me, and I in him. 

"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the 
Father : so he that eateth me the same also shall live by 
me. 

"7"/^/^ is the bread that came down from heaven. Not 
as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead : he that 
eateth this bread shall live forever." (John vi. 54-59.) 

Under what circumstances was it promised ? Say the first words. 
How did the Jews understand Him ? Did Christ explain away, or 
did he confirm the manner in which he was understood ? 



HOLY EUCHARIST—I. 253 

After these plain ^ and positive^ and repeated declara- 
tions, the Jews clearly saw that he meant to give them 
his real flesh and blood ; yet they would not beheve, but 
still objected : " Many therefore of his disciples, hearing 
it, said : This saying is hard^ and who can hear it ? " 
(John vi. 6i.) 

In answer to this second objection, he still did not 
tell them that they mistook his meaning; but, on the 
contrary, he reproached them for their unbeHef : " Doth 
this scandalize you ? If then you shall see the Son of 
Man ascend up where he was before " (John vi. 62, 6-^ ; 
i. e., if you cannot believe that I can give you my flesh 
to eat and my blood to drink, now that I am here with 
you 071 earthy how will you believe, it when you shall 
have seen me ascend up into heaven ? And thus he an- 
ticipated the objection of \2X^x protesters against his doc- 
trine, who say : " The natural body and blood of our 
Savior Christ are in heaven and not here^ it being against 
the truth of Christ's natural body to be at one time in 
more places than one." (Book of Common-Prayer: 
Declaration at the end of Communion Service.) 

Then he proceeded to show the reason why they could 
not beheve his doctrine. It was because they followed 
their own corrupt yf<f^/^j^ reasoning instead of listening to 
the Spirit of God, and therefore he said to them : " It is 
the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; 
the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." 
(John vi. 64.) Then, reproaching them for their unbe- 
lief, he added : " But there are some of you that believe 
not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were 
that did not believe. And he said : Therefore did I say 
to you that no man can come to me unless it be given 
him by my father" (John vi. 65, dd^ 44); i. e., unless he 
be quickened by the Spirit of God to believe. 

" After this many of his disciples " (seeing that he 
really meant to give them his very flesh and blood) " went 

Did our Lord tell those leaving, on account of the ha?d saying, 
that they mistook his meaning ? What reason did he give why his 
doctrine was not-beheved ? What reproach did he make? 



2S4 HOLY EUCHARIST— I. 

back and walked no more with him." (John vi. 67.) He 
then let them go, without intimating to them that such 
was not his meaning. " Then Jesus said to the twelve: 
Will you also go away ? And Simon Peter (in the name 
of himself and of the other Apostles) answered him : 
Lord, to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of 
eternal life." (John vi. 68, 69.) 

How many are there in these days who follow the 
unbelieving Jews, by going away from the Church of 
Christ, saying like them, in the spirit of unbelief: " How 
can it be the real flesh of Christ that is given to us in the 
Eucharist : this saying is /iar^, and who can hear it ? '* 
Catholics alone imitate the faith of the Apostles. 

2. T/ie Words of Institutiofi. — Although the Apostles 
believed the words of Christ, wherein he promised to 
give them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink ; yet 
they could not U7ider stand how those words were to be 
accomplished, until they saw our Lord actually fulfill 
them, by giving what he had thus promised, 

"And when the hour was come (the night before his 
death), Jesus sat down and the twelve Apostles with 
him. And he said to them: With desire I have desired 
to eat this pasch with you before I suffer." (Luke xxii. 
14, 15.) "And while they were at supper, Jesus took 
bread, and blessed, and broke, arid gave to his disciples, 
and said : Take ye, and eat ; this is my body. And 
taking the chalice he gave thanks, and gave to them, 
saying: Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood of the 
New Testament, which shall be shed for many unto remis- 
sion of sins." (Matt. xvi. 26, 27, 28.) 

Here we see the complete/;/^///;/*?;// of what had been 
long before promised. Christ declared what he gave to 
his Apostles to be his body and his blood — the very 
body which should be delivered for them — (i Cor. xi. 
24)— the very blood which should be shed for many unto 

Who follow the example of the unbelieving Jews ? What was 
it the Apostles could not understand ? Can you say the words of 
the Institution ? What was it the fulfillment of? 



HOLY EUCHARIST— I. 255 

remission of sins. (Matt. xxvi. 28.) Now, when he 
says, ** This is my body. . . . This is my blood," are we 
to contradict him, and say, " It is not so ? " On the 
contrary, ought we not to say with St. Peter : " Lord, to 
whom shall we go ? " in whom shall we find truth if not 
in thee ? for " thou hast the words of eternal life." 
(John vi. 6S, 69.) 

IV. Objections Answered. — It remains now to 
answer some of the chief objections which the unbeliev- 
ers of our day raise against this doctrine to justify their 
unbelief. 

1. They say; " Christ spoke figuratively at the last 
Supper, For if his words were figurative when he said, 
^ I am the door — (John x. 7) — I am the vine^^^ (John xv. 
5, ) why not also when he said, * This is my body — This 
is my blood? ' " This objection is as much as to say : 
" Christ spoke figuratively sometimes ; therefore, why not 
always ? '* 

^^ I am the door'^ — The Evangelist expressly shows \h^X 
these words were spoken in explanation of a parable : 
" This proverb Jesus spoke to them, but they understood 
not what he spoke to them." (John x. 6.) But when 
he said, " This is my body. . . . This is my blood," there 
is no expression to show that his words were a proverb, 
or the explanatictfi of a .parable. 

'' I a?n the vine'^ — The Evangelist plainly shows that 
these words are the application of a comparison : "As 
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the 
vine^ NO more can you, except ye abide in me'^ This is 
the comparison. Then comes the application. " 1 am 

the vine ; ye are the branches if any one abide 

not in me he is cast forth as a branch.'' (John xv. 5, 6.) 
Evidently, therefore, there is no real or valid objection. 

2. But does not Christ say : " Do thisy^r a commemo- 
ration of me?" (Luke xxii. 19.) Yes; hvX do what? 
Why, what he had just done, i. e., consecrate bread and 
wine (as I have done) into my body and blood, and eat 

What do unbelievers object in the first place ? How do you answer 
this objection ? 



256 HOLY EUCHARIST— I. 

and drink the same " for a commemoration of me." 
When you eat my body and drink my blood, bear in 
mind that that ^au^ body which you eat was "dehvered 
for you " on the Cross ; and that same blood which 
you drink was there " shed for the remission of your 
sins'" 

Thus it is that St. Paul explains these words, by im- 
mediately adding : " For as often as you shall eat this 
bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death 
OF THE Lord, until he come." (i Cor. xi. 26.) For 
eating the body and drinking the blood of a person neces- 
sarily SHOWS his deaths but receiving mere bread and 
wine does not. 

3. But (they say) does not St. Paul still call the 
Eucharist ''bread'' after consecration? Yes; and the 
reason is — ist. Because it has still the appearances of 
bread; as Angels are sometimes called "• men^' (Gen. 
xix. I, 10,) and the Holy Ghost '' parted tongues'' (Acts 
ii. 8,) because they had the appearances of being such. 
2dly. Because it had been bread; as, for this same rea- 
son, the serpent was still called a rod. " But Aaron's 
n?^ devoured their rods." (Exod. vii. 12.) This, there- 
fore, is a groundless objection. 

And indeed in the very same chapter from which this 
objection is taken, St. Paul argues on the Blessed Euchar- 
ist in such a way as to give the strongest proofs that he 
believed it to be (not bread and wine, but) the real body 
and blood of Christ. For, after relating the words of con- 
secration, he reasons thus : " Therefore^ whosoever shall 
eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord un- 
worthily^ shall be guilty of the body and blood of the 
Lord. . . . For he that eateth and drinketh wnvorthily, 
eateth and drinketh y^^/^;«^;// to himself, not discern- 
ing the body of the Lord." (i Cor. xi. 28, 29.) 

Here St. Paul evidently speaks of Christ's real body 
a?id blood. For how could any one be guilty of our 

What is the second objection? How do you answer it? But 
why does St. Paul call the Eucharist bread? How does St. Paul 
argue ? What is evident from this ? 



HOLY EUCHARIST— II. 257 

Lord's body and blood by eating mere bread? How 
could any one commit an outrage against the body of 
Christ if it were not^there to be outraged? How could 
an unworthy communicant bring judgment upon himself 
for " not discerning the body of the Lord " if it were not 
there to be discerned? Evidently, then, St. Paul be- 
lieved the Blessed Eucharist to be Christ's real body and 
blood, and taught the Corinthians to believe it also. 
Therefore the Catholic Church believes and teaches the 
same : while they who have left her communion follow 
the example of the unbelieving Jews who went away 
from Christ, " and walked no more with him." 

I have now explained the outward Sign and the in- 
ward Grace of this Sacrament, and have shown that it 
was instituted by Christ to be the spiritual food of our 
souls; and also that its institution, as related in the 
Sacred Scriptures, affords abundant proofs of the doc- 
trine of the Real Presence. 



Instruction XLVIII. 

HOLY EUCHARIST — CONTINUED. 

Power given to Cofisecrate — Transubstantiation — Com- 
munion in One Kind — The Effects of Communion, 

What is the Holy Eucharist 9 — It is the true body and blood of 
Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. 

Why has Christ given himself to us in this Sacrament? — To feed 
and nourish our souls, and to enable us to perform all our Christian 
duties. 

How are the bread and wine changed into the body and blood of 
Christy — By the power of God, to whom nothing is impossible or 
difficult. 

When is this change made*^ — When the words of consecration 
ordained by Jesus Christ are pronounced by the priest in the Mass. 

It has been shown in the last Instruction how the 
Blessed Eucharist is a true Sacrament — -how it has an 
outward sign and an inward grace — and how the scriptural 
17 



268 HOLY EUCHARIST— II. 

account of its institution, besides proving that it was in- 
stiiuied by Christy proves also the Cathohc doctrine of 
the Real Presence, I will now enter into a further ex- 
planation of this Sacrament. 

I. Power of Consecrating given by Christ to his 
Apostles and their Successors. — When our Lord instituted 
the Blessed Eucharist, he said : ^^Do this for a commemo- 
ration of me" (Luke xxii. 19), and by these words he 
gave POWER AND COMMISSION to his Apostles and their 
successors to do what he had done — namely, to change 
bread and wine into his body and blood, and to admin- 
ister the same to others. It is in the Mass that this 
change is made — it is made in the name and by the 
power of Christ. In His name, the priest says : " This 
IS MY BODY, This is my blood j" and in the very same 
instant in which these words are pronounced the bread 
and wine become, by virtue of a divine power, the body 
and blood of Christ. The appearances^ indeed, remain 
the same as before, but the substance is changed. 

II. Transubstantiation. — This change is called 
Transubstafitiation. In all bodily and material objects 
there are these two things, viz., the outward, sensible ^Z- 
pearances, and the inward substatice which exists under 
those appearances or qualities. Now, faith teaches us 
that by the words of consecration this inward substance 
of the bread and of the wine is changed into the sub- 
stance of the body and blood of Christ, the outward ap- 
pearances all remaining the same as before. 

Objections answered. — " But (exclaim the unbelieving 
followers of the Reformation) how is this possible ? " 

The Catholic answers : " By the power of God, to 
whom nothing is impossible or difficult,^'' Such an objection 
ill becomes us. It is not for us to limit our Creator's 
power by setting bounds to his Omnipotence. Since 
Christ has said it^ we know it must necessarily be true. 

What power and commission was given to the Apostles when the 
Eucharist was instituted ? What are there in all material things ? 
What is changed according to what faith teaches ? What is objected 
by unbelievers ? How do you answer ? 



HOLY EUCHARIST- II. 259 

W hat he has said we must beUeve, and not say with the 
unbeUeving Jews : " How can this man give us his flesh to 
eat ? This saying is hardy and who can hear it." But 
rather should we say with St. Peter : " Lord, to whom 
shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life.'* (John 
vi. 53, 6i, 69.) Did not Christ change water into wine 
in Cana of Galilee? (John ii. i-ii.) Was not water 
changed into blood in Egypt? and the dead rod of 
Aaron into the body and blood of a living serpent ?) Exod. 
vii. 20, 10.) 

" But (adds the objector) there I could see a change; 
but here I can see none. It appears to be bread and wine 
as before. Am I not not to believe my senses ? " Yes, 
we do believe our senses, for they tell us, there are all the 
appearances of bread and wine ; and we believe this tes- 
timony of our senses, for there are those appearances. 
But faith tells us that under these appearances are the 
body and blood of Christ. Thus, then, our senses are 
not deceived. [Example : Had we been present when 
** the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape as a dove " 
(Luke iii. 22), and when he again descended under the 
outward appearances of "parted tongues as it were of 
fire " (Acts ii. 3), our senses would have told us that there 
were there all the appearances of a dove and of parted 
tongues ; but faith tells us that there was no dove, no 
tongue there, but the Holy Ghost under those appear- 
ances. Just so in the Holy Eucharist.] 

Under the appearances, then, of bread and wine are 
really contained the body and blood oi Christ. Any thing 
else ? Yes; his soul and Divinity : " If any one shall 
deny (says the Council of Trent) that the body and 
blood, together with the soul and Divinity of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and therefore the whole Christ, are truly, 
really and substantially contained in the Sacrament of 
the Holy Eucharist, let him be anathema.'* (Cone. Trid., 
Sess. 13, de Euchar, can. i.) 

What do objectors add ? How do you answer? What examples 
illustrate this ? What is under the appearances of bread and wine ? 



260 HOLY EUCHARIST~II. 

III. Communion under one kind. — The body and 
blood, soul and Divinity of Christ are presented under 
one kind only just as much as under both. For Christ 
is present in the Holy Eucharist in a living state, having 
risen from the dead to die no more (Rom. vi. 9) ; and, 
therefore, where his body is there must also be his blood, 
his soul and his Divinity, for these are inseparable in 
Christ's living body. 

For the same reason Christ is present whole and entire, 
not only under each kind, but also under every particle. 
Hence St. Paul says : " Whosoever shall eat this bread 
OR drink the chalice, of the Lord unworthily, shall be 
guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." (i Cor. xi. 27.) 

From this it evidently follows that they who communi- 
cate under one kind ofily received Christ just as much as 
if they communicated under both ; for, in either case, 
they receive Christ entire, there being no difference ex- 
cept in the appearances. [Example: If the Apostles had 
received the Holy Ghost under the appearances both of 
a dove and of tongues at the same time, they would 
have received no more than they did, but exactly the 
same ; all the difference would have been in the outward 
appearances. Just so in the Holy Eucharist.] 

The priest, however, must consecrate and receive both 
whenever he celebrates Mass, and the reason is because 
tlie Mass is a Sacrifice, the object of which is to " show 
Chrisfs death" (i Cor. xi. 26) — to represent and con- 
tinue the Sacrifice of the Cross ; and this is shown by 
the separate consecration of the bread and wine. 

In receiving, then, the Blessed Sacrament (whether 
under one or under both kinds) we receive Jesus Christ — 
his body. and blood, soul and divinity; and therefore 
when we receive this Sacrament worthily^ it must produce 
the most happy effects in the soul. 

IV. Effects of Communion. — The effects which the 

How do you prove that those who receive Communion under one 
kind receive Christ the same as if they received under both? Illus- 
trate this by an example ? Why must the priest consecrate and 
receive under both ? 



HOLY EUCHARIST— II. 261 

Blessed Eucharist produces in the soul of the worthy 
receiver are these : 

1. It unites us to yesus Christ : " He that eateth my 
flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him." 
(John vi. 57.) Thus we become one with him; for, by 
means of the Holy Communion, " we are made partakers 
of the divine nature." (2 Pet. i. 4.) The effect ot this 
happy union will be to make our lives resemble his, so 
that we may be enabled to say with St. Paul: "I live 
now, not /, but Christ liveth in me." (Gall.ii. 20.) What 
bounty ! What excess of love and condescension on the 
part of our Blessed Redeemer ! 

2. It supports and strengthens the soul by giving an 
INCREASE OF GRACE. It is not, indeed, intended to put 
the soul in a state of grace (although there are cases 
wherein it may have this effect; ; but its object is to pre- 
serve us in that state : " He that eateth me, the same 
also shall live by me ; he that eateth this bread shall live 
forever " (J ohn vi. 58, 59) ; i. e., he shall have strength 
to persevere in the life of grace. For the Holy Com- 
munion inflames our soul with divine love and imparts 
such an increase of grace as will enable us to avoid sin 
by assisting us to overcome all our temptations : " Thou 
hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict 
me." (Ps. xxii. 5.) 

3. Not only does it support us in our spiritual warfare 
by strengthening our souls, but also by weakening our 
passions. The passions are those natural inclinations 
which are the unhappy causes of sin. Now, in the Holy 
Communion we receive our spiritual Physician, who, as 
the Psalmist says, -'healeth all our diseases" (Ps. cii. 3) ; 
i.e., cures our disorderly inclinations, by lessening their 
violence, and bringing them into perfect subjection to 
reason. If, then, temptations attack and trouble you, 
hasten to Jesus Christ in the Holy Communion, with an 
entire confidence that he will give you a complete victory 

What is the first effect of Communion ? What the second ? What 
the third ? 



262 HOLY EUCHARIST— III. 

over them. For, as *^ he commanded the winds and the 
sea, and there came a great calm," (Matt. viii. 26,) so 
will he command your passions, and the violence of 
your temptations, that they may not lead you into sin. 

4. This Sacrament, moreover, is 2l pledge of a glorious 
resurrection. Everlasting life consists in possessing God 
eternally in heaven. Now, Christ gives himself to us in 
this Sacrament, during life, as a pledge of a glorious im- 
mortality ; according to his express promise : " He that 
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting 
life : and I will raise him up at the last day," (i. e., to 
eternal glory.) 

Such are the happy effects which this Sacrament pro- 
duces in those who receive it with proper dispositions. 
Every worthy Communion makes us partakers of these 
inestimable advantages. Have recourse, then, frequently 
to this divine institution — to this efficacious means of 
grace. But take care to be always duly prepared, for 
otherwise, instead of receiving these happy fruits of Com- 
munion, you would bring judgment upon yourselves, by 
becoming " guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." 
You would commit, therefore, a most grievous sacrilege ! 
The manner of preparing for Communion shall be the 
subject of the next Instruction. 

What the fourth ? 



Instruction XLIX. 

HOLY EUCHARIST — CONTINUED. 

How to Prepare for Communion. 

How must we prepare to receive the Blessed Sacrament t — We 
must be in a state of grace, and be fasting from midnight. 

Is it a great sin to receive it unworthily 9 — Yes, it is : ** For he 
that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to him- 
self.'*— I Cor. xi. 29. 

What is it to receive unworthily 9 — To receive in mortal sin. 



HOLY EUCHARIST— III. 263 

Communion is the receiving of the body and blood of* 
Christ for the food and nourishment of our souls. 

In the last Instruction I explained the happy effects of 
a worthy Communion, showing how it unites us with 
Jesus Christ — how it supports us in our spiritual warfare, 
by strengthening us with an increase of grace, and by 
wei^kening our enemies — and how it gives us a pledge 
of a glorious immortality. But to receive these happy 
effects we must ht properly prepared ; and, according to 
the degree of our preparation, we receive these effects 
more or less abundantly. It is for want of due prepara- 
tion that so many derive little or no profit from their 
Communions. 

HoWy theuy must we prepare ourselves to receive the Blessed Sacra- 
ment f — We must be in the state of grace, and be fasting from mid- 
night. 

In order, then, to receive this Sacrament properly two 
things are required : ^rst, preparation of the body ; and 
secondly, preparation of the soul. 

I. As REGARDS THE BODY, wc are required by a posi- 
tive precept of the Church to be fasting from midnight — 
i. e.. from twelve o'clock at the midnight immediately 
preceding Communion — we must avoid taking even the 
least thing by way of eating or drinking, otherwise we 
could not lawfully communicate that day. It is out of 
respect and reverence to the Blessed Sacrament that this 
command of the Church is given, in order that on the 
day of our Communion this spiritual food of the soul 
may be the first food we receive. 

But this command of being fasting does not include 
those who, being in danger of death by sickness, receive 
the Holy Communion by way of Viaticum — i.e., as an 
immediate preparation for their passage into eternity — 
for in this case the Blessed Sacrament may be received 
any day or hour, and whether the sick person be fasting 
or not. 

Why must we be properly prepared ? What preparation regards 
the body? Does this command of fasting regard those in danger 
of death ? 



264 HOLY EUCHARIST— III. 

II. As REGARDS THE SOUL, we are required to be in 
proper dispositions. 

1. We must be in a state of grace — i. e., free from ail 
guilt of mortal sin. For as food is of no advantage 
whatever to a dead body, so the Holy Communion can 
do no good to a soul when dead in sin. 

To receive this Sacrament in the known guilt of 
mortal sin, is to commit the greatest crime. To those 
who are guilty of this sacrilegious crime, may be applied 
these words of our Blessed Lord : " Friend, how camest 
thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment (i. e., 
sanctifying grace) ? Then the king said to the waiters : 
Bind his hands and his feet, arid cast him into the ex- 
terior darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of 
teeth." (Matt. xxii. 12, 13.) St. Paul declares, that 
they who receive unworthily, or in mortal sin, are " guilty 
of the body and blood of the Lord," and that they '* eat 
and drink judgment to themselves." Therefore, he says : 
" Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that 
bread, and drink of the chalice" (i Cor. xi. 27-29); i.e., 
before Communion you must examine the state of your 
soul, and if you find yourselves defiled with mortal sin, 
you must seek forgiveness by sincere repentance ; and 
for this purpose, in compliance with a positive precept 
of the Church, you must have recourse to the Sacrament 
of Penance. (Cone. Trid. Sess 13, de Euchar., cap. 7.) 

Not only must you be free from the guilt of mortal 
sin, but, moreover, you should adorn your soul with 
virtue, endeavoring to enter into such sentiments of piety, 
devotion and love, as so great and holy a Sacrament de- 
mands. And therefore : 

2. On the Eve of your Communion you should be more 
than usually retired and recollected, in order to think on 
the great work which you are about to perform, and to 
dispose your soul for a more immediate preparation. 
Let your ifitention be to please God, and to advance in 
virtue. 

What is the disposition of the soul ? Would it be sacrilegious 
to communicate in a state of sin ? What should be on the eve of 
Communion ? 



HOLY EUCHARIST— III. 265 

3. On the Morning of Communion employ yourselves 
in fervent acts of Faith ^ Adoration^ Humility^ Contrition^ 
Divine Love^ Desire of being united to Jesus Christ, and 
Supplications for his grace. 

Firsts FAITH. — Make acts of a firm and Hvely Faith in 
the Real Presence: remember what Christ said to 
Thomas : " Blessed are they that have not seen, and 
have believed." (John xx. 28, 29.) Faith assures us 
that in receiving the Holy Communion you receive 
Jesus Christ, '"- your Lord and your God.'' This Faith, 
if it be lively, will naturally lead you to pay him supreme 
homage. 

Secondly^ adoration. — Bow down your soul, Xkitx^- 
ioTQ/m. acts of Adoration, If Jesus Christ were to ap- 
pear visible before you, what would you do ? Would 
you not adore him in the most perfect manner you 
could ? Now, we have his positive declaration, etc., and 
therefore we are as sure of his presence as if we actually 
saw him. Adore him, therefore, in this Sacrament w ith 
all the fervor of your soul. 

I'hirdly^ humility. — Then make acts of Humility, 
considering His greatness and your nothingness. The 
God of Infinite Majesty comes to a mere worm ! — to a 
sinner ! Oh ! if your faith were lively, you would hum« 
ble yourselves to the very dust, exclaiming with the 
Centurion : " Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst 
enter under my roof; but only say the word and my 
soul shall be healed. 

Fourthly^ contrition. — This thought of your un- 
worthiness should lead you to make fervent acts of Con- 
trition. You may indeed hope to have received pardon 
in the Sacrament of. Penance ; but the true penitent has 
his sins " always before him ; " he continues to lament 
them, and to crave mercy and forgiveness; with the 
penitent David he cries out : " Have mercy on me, O 

What in the morning? What consideration should you employ 
first to make an act of Faith ? What second to make an act of 
Adoration ? What third ? What fourth ? 



266 HOLY EUCHARIST— III. 

God, according to thy great mercy wash me yet 

more from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." 

Fifthly^ HOPE. — After this make acts of Hope and con- 
fidence in the divine goodness. He whom you are about 
to receive is, indeed, Lord of heaven and earth, a.nd yoi^ 
a miserable sinner ; but he is infinitely good and merciful 
and invites you to have recourse to him. ^' Come to me, 
all you that labor and are burde?ied, and I will refresh 
you." (Matt. xi. 28.) Go to him, therefore, with great 
confidence in his goodness. 

Sixthly^ CHARITY. — But, above all, go with a heart in- 
flamed with an ardent charity — love him with your whole 
heart and soul in return for the great love which he mani- 
fests to you in giving you himself. This is the return 
which he expects from you. Make, then, fervent acts of 
lave, 

Se^fenthly, desires. — As the time of Communion draws 
near, rouse all your devotion — ^redouble your fervor; 
make acts of ardent desires to receive Jesus Christ — to be 
united to the beloved of your soul : " As the hart pant- 
eth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after 
thee, O God." fPs. xU. 2.) 

Eighthly^ supplications. — Conclude your preparation 
by begging of your Blessed Lord to infuse these virtues 
plentifully into your soul — to perfect them — and to sup- 
ply by his grace whatever is wanting in your preparation. 
And ask the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints to 
join their prayers with yours and to obtain the grant of 
your petitions. 

(All this you will find expressed in the ^''Prayers before 
Communion^' which are provided for you in your Prayer- 
books.) 

4. At the moment of Communion^ after acknowledging 
again your unworthiness (" Lord, I am not worthy" etc.), 
receive your Redeemer with the greatest reverence and 
humility. Having received, employ all the powers of 

What should you do fifthly ? What sixthly ? What seventhly ? 
What eighthly ? What should you do at the moment of Communion ? 



THE HOLY EUCHARIST— in. 267 

your soul in silent adoration of Jesus Christ whom you 
inwardly possess. 

5. Immediately after Communion you should spend 
some time in acts of thanksgiving and love ; you should 
make an offering of your entire selves to God, and pray 
for such graces and blessings as you stand in need of. 

Firsts Having then returned to your place and adored 
your Lord, who is present with you, thank him for all 
his blessings, and especially for having thus given him- 
self to you, and invoke all creatures to join with you in 
blessing, and praising and thanking him. Gratitude for 
favors received is the way to insure a continuance of 
them. 

Secondly^ Testify, therefore, your gratitude by offering 
your whole self to his love and service. Resolve that 
all your thoughts, words and actions shall be directed to 
his glory, etc. 

Thirdly^ The time after Communion is most precious^ 
because then you possess the Author of all grace. Employ 
it, therefore, in presenting fervent petitions to him ; beg 
of him to adorn your soul with his gifts and graces, to 
strengthen you against temptations, to give you the grace 
of perseverance, etc. 

(These sentiments and petitions you will find expressed 
in your Prayer-books.) 

6. During the day of Communion keep yourselves re- 
tired and recollected ; frequently call to mind the great 
blessing you have received; be particularly watchful 
against ajl occasions of sin ; resolve to persevere in God's 
service, and frequently renew this holy resolution. 

What immediately after Communion ? Firstly ? What secondly ? 
What thirdly? During the day of Communion how should you 
occupy yourself? 



266 HOLY EUCHARIST— III. 

God, according to thy great mercy wash me yet 

more from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." 

Fifthly^ HOPE. — After this make acts of Hope and con- 
fidence in the divine goodness. He whom you are about 
to receive is, indeed, Lord of heaven and earth, Siudyot^ 
a miserable sinner ; but he is infinitely good and merciful 
and invites you to have recourse to him. *^ Come to me, 
all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh 
you." (Matt. xi. 28.) Go to him, therefore, with great 
confidence in his goodness. 

Sixthly, CHARITY. — But, above all, go with a heart in- 
flamed with an ardent charity — love him with your whole 
heart and soul in return for the great love which he mani- 
fests to you in giving you himself. This is the return 
which he expects from you. Make, then, fervent acts of 
love, 

Se%^enthly, desires. — As the time of Communion draws 
near, rouse all your devotion — ^redouble your fervor; 
make acts of ardent desires to receive Jesus Christ — to be 
united to the beloved of your soul : " As the hart pant- 
eth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after 
thee, O God." (Ps. xh. 2.) 

Eighthly, supplications. — Conclude your preparation 
by begging of your Blessed Lord to infuse these virtues 
plentifully into your soul — to perfect them — and to sup- 
ply by his grace whatever is wanting in your preparation. 
And ask the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints to 
join their prayers with yours and to obtain the grant of 
your petitions. 

(All this you will find expressed in the ^^Prayers before 
Communion^' which are provided for you in your Prayer- 
books.) 

4. At the moment of Communion, after acknowledging 
again your un worthiness (" Lord, I am not worthy" etc.), 
receive your Redeemer with the greatest reverence and 
humility. Having received, employ all the powers of 

What should you do fifthly ? What sixthly ? What seventhly ? 
What eighthly ? What should you do at the moment of Communion ? 



THE HOLY EUCHARIST— in. 26T 

your soul in silent adoration of Jesus Christ whom you 
inwardly possess. 

5. Immediately after Communion you should spend 
some time in acts of thanksgiving and love ; you should 
make an offerUig of your entire selves to God, and pray 
for such graces and blessings as you stand in need of. 

Firsts Having then returned to your place and adored 
your Lord, who is present with you, thank him for all 
his blessings, and especially for having thus given him- 
self to you, and invoke all creatures to join with you in 
blessing, and praising and thanking him. Gratitude for 
favors received is the way to insure a continuance of 
them. 

Secondly^ Testify, therefore, your gratitude by oj^ering 
your whole self to his love and service. Resolve that 
all your thoughts, words and actions shall be directed to 
his glory, etc. 

Thirdly^ The time after Communion is most precious^ 
because then you possess the Author of all grace. Employ 
it, therefore, in presenting fervent petitions to him ; beg 
of him to adorn your soul with his gifts and graces, to 
strengthen you against temptations, to give you the grace 
of perseverance, etc. 

(These sentiments and petitions you will find expressed 
in your Prayer-books.) 

6. During the day of Communion keep yourselves re- 
tired and recollected ; frequently call to mind the great 
blessing you have received; be particularly watchful 
against ajl occasions of sin ; resolve to persevere in God's 
service, and frequently renew this holy resolution. 

What immediately after Communion ? Firstly ? What secondly ? 
What thirdly? During the day of Communion how should you 
occupy yourself? 



268 THE MASS— I. 

Instruction L. 

THE MASS. 

Sacrifice in general — The Four Ends of Sacrifice — the 
Sacrifice of the Mass — Proofs — the Mass answers all 
the Ends of Sacrifice. 

What is the Mass? — It is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and 
blood of Christ. 

What are the ends for which we are to offer up this Sacrifice? — 
1st, For God's honor and glory. 2dly, In thanksgiving for all his 
benefits, and as a memorial of the passion and death of his Son. 
3dly, For obtaining pardon for our sins. And 4thly, For obtaining 
all graces and blessings through Jesus Christ. 

The Mass is the Sacrifice of the body a?id blood of Christ, 
offered on our altars under the appearances of bread and 
wine, to commemorate and contifiue the Sacrifice of the Cross. 

The Holy Eucharist is not only a Sacrament, but a 
Sacrifice also ; and this double mystery is accomplished 
in the Mass. Hence the Mass is the most sacred, solemn 
and sublime act of religious worship that we can perform. 
Of all the treasures which Christ has left to his Church, 
this institution is the richest and most precious — it is the 
greatest display of his bounty and love toward us. Yet, 
alas! how unknown, how little understood ! How many 
know not its value, nor how to apply its advantages to 
their souls ! Pay attention, therefore ; because it is very 
necessary to be well instructed on this important subject. 

I. What is Sacrifice in general ? 

It is an an offering of some external se?isible thing, made 
to God by a lawful minister, to acknowledge by its de- 
struction or change God's absolute dominion over us and 
our entire dependence on him, and thereby to pay him 
the supreme homage of adoration. Hence, Sacrifice can 
be offered only to God. 

To offer Sacrifice, then, is to offer to God ?>omt exter?ial 
thing in testimony of his absolute dominion and our en- 
tire dependence. Thus, Cain offered his first-fruits and 

What is the most excellent act of worship ? To whom can sacri- 
fice be offered? Mention some of the sacrifices offered before Christ. 



THE MASS— I. 269 

Abel the first-born of his flock; thus, also, Noe, Abra- 
ham, Melchisedeck, etc., offered Sacrifice. In the Mo- 
saic Law God appointed Aaron and his descendants to 
be the only lawful Ministers of Sacrifice. (Exod. xxviii. 
I, 4, and'xxix; Num. i. 48-51.) Core, Dathan and 
Abiron, for usurping this office, were punished most se- 
verely by Almighty God. For he was so offended at 
their conduct that he caused the earth to open beneath 
their feet and to swallow them down alive into hell, to- 
gether with those who joined in their schismatical 
worship. (Num. xvi. i,etc.) 

In offering Sacrifice the victim undergoes a real or 
mystical destruction to testify thereby that we deserve 
destruction at the hands of God. In the Old Law this 
was signified by the person for whom the victim was 
offered putting his hand upon its head. 

II. There are four great ends which the servants 
of God have always had in view in offering sacrifice, viz. : 
I. To adore God by giving him supreme homage. 2. To 
thank him for his blessings. 3. To appease his anger 
and satisfy his justice. 4. To obtain his graces and all 
the blessings we stand in need of. 

But all the sacrifices of sheep and oxen could never 
(of themselves) answer these ends — they could never 
" take away sin " (Heb. x. 4) nor render to God the ho- 
mage worthy of his Majesty. 

In order that Sacrifice may be worthy of God's accept- 
ance and capable of atoning for sin, the victim must be 
of infinite value ; because God, against whom sin had 
been committed, is infinite. Man had no such victim 
to offer, but God in his mercy supplied us with one : the 
Son of God himself became our great High Priest and 
victim ; by offering himself in sacrifice on the Cross he 
made full atonement for sin and purchased redemption 
for all mankind in general. 

How was the schismatical sacrifice of Core, Dathan and Abiron 
punished ? What are the four ends of sacrifice ? Could the 
sacrifice of animals take away sin ? Why should the victim of sin 
be infinite ? 



270 THE MASS—I. 

And to apply the merits of that general redemption to 
our souls individually^ he has left in the Church an in- 
stitution for this purpose, viz., the Mass. 

III. What is THE Mass? 

It is the unbloody Sacrifice of the body and blood of 
Christ offered on our altars under the appearance of 
bread and wine, to represent and continue the sacrifice 
of the Cross. 

How does the Mass represent or perpetually **show (as St. Paul 
says) the death of Christ ? (i Cor. xi. 26.) 

By the very act whereby he is rendered present; i. e., 
by the separate consecration of the bread and wine. 
Christ died by really shedding his blood, and thereby the 
Sacrifice of the Cross was accomplished. Now, this 
shedding of his blood — this separation of the blood from 
the body — ^is represented in the Mass by the act of sepa- 
rate consecration. The priest says in the name of Christ : 
" This is my body," and by these words the bread is 
changed into the body of Christ. Again, he says: ^* This 
is the chalice of my blood," and thereby the wine is 
changed into the blood of Christ. The body and blood 
are represented, therefore, as separate from each other, 
and thus our Lord offers himself to his eternal Father 
under the appearance of death, or, ^^ as it were, slain." 
(Epoc. V. 6.) 

But the Mass is not a mere representation of the Sacri- 
fice of the Cross. It is a contitiuation of the same Sacri- 
fice, for the priest and the victim are the same, the only 
difference being in the manner of offering. On the 
Cross Christ really shed his blood and really died ; but 
in the Mass he sheds his blood mystically, and is, '^as it 
were, slain." 

IV. Proofs of the Mass from the Scriptures : 
I. The Mass is 'that perpetual Sacrifice of which God 

(after having declared that he would reject the J^ewish 
Sacrifices) says : " From the rising of the sun, even to 
the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, 

Is the Mass a mere representation of the Sacrifice of tlie Cross ? 



THE MASS— I. 271 

and in every place there is Sacrifice^ and there is offered 
to my name a clean oblation,^^ (Mai. i. ii.) 

2. It is that Sacrifice which Christ offered at the last 
supper : ** This is my body which is given for you " 
(Luke xxii. 19, 20); *'This is my blood of the New 
Testament which shall be shed for many unto remission 
of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 28.) 

3. It is that Sacrifice which he commanded and em- 
powered his Apostles and their successors to offer till the 
end of the world, when he said : ^'Do this for a com- 
memoration of me. . . . For as often as you shall eat this 
bread and drink the chalice you shall show the death of 
the Lord until he corned (i Cor. xi. 24, 25, 26.) 

4. It is that great Sacrifice for the perpetual offering 
of which Christ is called *' a '^xx^'sX forever according to 
the order oi Melchisedeckr (Heb. v. 6.) 

V. The Mass, by reason of its infinite value, fully an- 
swers the four great Ends of Sacrifice. For, 

What are the Ends for which we are to offer up this Sacrifice f 

1. ^^^ For God's honor and glory :^' We owe to God 
supreme homage of adoration, whereby we are to testify 
that he has absolute dominion over us — that he is " the 
Lord our God." But if (independently of Christ) we 
were to offer to him our whole selves and all that belongs 
to us, it would not be a sacrifice worthy of his accept- 
ance. Now, in the Mass we have a victim which is in 
every way worthy of God, namely, Jesus Christ, who 
offers himself in our behalf as a Sacrifice of Adoration^ 
and by uniting our intention with his, when we assist 
thereat, we are enabled to offer to God a homage which 
is supreme and perfectly pleasing to him. 

2. ^^ In thanksgiving for all his benefits : " We owe in- 
finite thanks to God for the blessings we have received 
from him ; but, of ourselves^ we have no return that we 
can make worthy of God's acceptance. Now, in the 
Mass Jesus Christ offers himself for us as a Sacrifiae of 

Prove the Mass from Scripture. How do you show it answers 
the four great ends of Sacrifice? 



272 THE MASS— I. 

Thanksgivings and thereby he enables us to return ade- 
quate thanks for all the blessings which God has be- 
stowed upon us. 

3. ^'' For obtaining pardo7i for our sins :^^ We have 
frequently sinned against God ; we owe him, therefore, a 
Sacrifice of Propitiation; but all the repentance and 
penance which we could oifer would not be sufficient or 
available without the merits of Christ. * Now, in the 
Mass Christ offers himself for us as^ Sacrifice of Propitia- 
tion ^ and by offering the same in union with him, we are 
enabled to repent effectually, to appease the anger of 
God, and to satisfy his justice, for the Mass applies to 
our souls the merits of Christ for this purpose. 

4. '' For obtaining all graces and blessings through 
yesus Christ :^' We need a constant supply of God's 
graces, and of his other blessings ; but we cannot obtain 
them except through the merits of Christ. Now, in the 
Mass Jesus Christ offers himself for us as a Sacrifice of 
Impetration^ to obtain for us all the graces and blessings 
of which we stand in need. 

Conclusion. — You see, from what has been said, how 
perfectly the Mass answers the four Ends of Sacrifice ; 
how it is the most sacred, solemn and subhme act of 
religious worship that we can perform — the most pleas- 
ing to God and the most advantageous to our souls. 
You see, therefore, what esteem and veneration you 
should have for this sacred Institution of God's mercy, 
and with what reverence, attention and devotion you 
ought to assist at it. Remember, this sacrifice is the 
means of applying the merits of the Cross to your souls; 
but that this application is more or less abundant, ac- 
cording to your devotion ; therefore with what earnest- 
ness you should assist at it, for otherwise what immense 
spiritual losses you will sustain ! How many and precious 
are the graces of which you will be deprived ! 

What conclusion do you draw ? 



THE MASS— II. 273 

Instruction LI. 

THE MASS — CONTINUED. 

Manner of assisting at Mass — by using a Prayer-Book^ by 
Reflecting on the Passion^ by attending to the Four Ends 
of Sacrifice, 

What is the Mass 9 — It is the unbloody Sacrifice of the body and 
blood of Christ. 

IVhat are the Ends for which we a^e to offer up this Sacrifice? — 
1st, For God's honor and glory. 2dly, In thanksgiving for all his 
benefits, and as a perpetual memorial of the Passion and Death of 
his Son. 3dly, For obtaining pardon for our sins. And 4thly, For 
obtaining all graces and blessings through Jesus Christ. 

How must we hear Mass ? — With very great attention and devo- 
tion. 

In the preceding Instruction I explained the nature, 
the necessity and the ends of Sacrifice, and particularly 
of the great Christian Sacrifice. I showed how the Mass 
is the most sacred, solemn and sublime act of religious 
worship that we can perform — the most pleasing to God 
and most advantageous to us. It is a most inestimable 
treasure provided for us by the divine goodness, for one 
Mass heard well is sufficient to enrich our souls with 
special graces and to make us saints. 

Why, then, do so many persons who hear Mass derive therefrom 

so little benefit ? 

That proceeds from their defective maimer of assist- 
ing at it. 

As three kinds of persons were present at the Sacrifice 
of the Cross on Mount Calvary — some crucifying and 
insulting their Redeemer, others satisfying their curiosity 
or merely passing away their time, and some few (as the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John, etc.) with feelings of de- 
votion, love and compassion= — so, how many in like 
manner are there who, going to Mass in a state of mortal 
sin, are so far from repenting or seeking forgiveness that 
they persevere in their sinful dispositions, and who, by 

Which were the three kinds of persons present at the Cross and 

at Mass ? 

i8 



274 THE MASS— II. 

their presence, do not honor but rather "crucify again 
the Son of God." (Heb. vi. 6.) How many also are 
there who only go to see and be seen, who are, indeed, 
present at the Holy Sacrifice but with indifference — 
without attention or devotion ! How few there are who, 
by their conduct and dispositions during Mass, imitate 
the devotion of the Blessed Virgin or of St. John ! I 
will now explain the manner of hearing Mass. 

In order to assist at Mass properly and with spiritual 
advantage, first, you should show great devotion and 
respect in your outward behavior ; and secondly, you 
should also strive to enter into such sentiments and feel- 
ings as this great Sacrifice ought to inspire. 

I. For this purpose read attentively the Prayers for 
Mass^ either in your Missal or in some other Prayer- 
Book. If you use a Missal you have then the very same 
prayers which the Priest says ; but after the '"Agnus 
Dei,'' take another book, or pray mentally. If you use 
a " Garden of the Soul," or any similar Prayer-Book, 
you have prayers which are expressive of the sentiments 
proper for each part of the Mass. Accompany the 
Priest by reading the prayer corresponding to what he 
is saying, and strive to enter into the spirit of each 
prayer. While you are hearing Mass never lose sight 
of this truth, namely, that you are then assisting at the 
same sacrifice as that which Christ offered on the Cross, 
and, consequently, that you should have the same senti- 
ments as you would have had if you had been present 
on Mount Calvary — viz., a lively representation of the 
sufferings of Christ — devotion, love, gratitude, contri- 
tion, and hatred of sin, with a firm resolution to avoid it 
in future. You will find all these sentiments expressed 
in your Prayer-Books, and you should strive to excite 
them in your soul. 

II. Those who cannot read, or who can read, but pre- 

What must we do to hear Mass properly ? What should we read 
for the purpose ? What should we never lose sight of whilst hear- 
ing Mass ? 



THE MASS— II. 275 

fer to pray mentally^ may employ themselves in reflecting 
on the Passion and Death of Christ, and in exciting the 
sentiments and feelings just mentioned ; accompanying 
their reflections with frequent aspirations, pious affec- 
tions, and frequent acts of love and contrition, etc. To 
assist you in following this method, I will now show you 
how the different Ceremonies of the Mass may serve to 
remind you of the different stages of our Lord's Passion. 
While hearing Mass, according to this method, you 
should bear in mind that it i« yesus Christ who is then 
offering himself in Sacrifice to his eternal Father by the 
ministry of the Priest, and that he is thus offering him- 
self in order to apply the merits of Redemption to your 
soul. 

1. The Priest goes to the Altar with the Clerks to 
begin Mass, This may remind you of Christ going to 
the Garden of Gethsemane with three of his Apostles to 
commence his Passion, \Enter into sentiments of resigna- 
tion to God's will, casting yourselves entirely on his mercy 
in the spirit of Penance. \ 

2. The Priest prays at the foot of the Altar, bowing 
down at the " Confiteor." Christ /r^j^^ in the Garden, 
prostrating himself on the ground; his soul being " sor- 
rowful even unto death " (Matt. xxvi. 2>^^\ ^^ much so 
that ^' his sweat became as drops of blood trickling down 
upon the ground." (Luke xxii. 44.) [Think of your 
sins; excite contrition ; implore forgiveness \ 

3. The Priest ascends up to the Altar, and, having 
kissed it, goes to the Epistle side to read the ** Introit ; " 
then he returns to the middle to say the " Kyrie ; " he 
goes again to the Epistle side to read the " Collect" and 
the " Epistle ; " he returns again to the middle and/roy^/ 
then he goes to the other side to read the " Gospel." 
Christ having risen from his prayer is led by the Jews 
to Annas and Caiaphas ; then to Pilate ; from him to 

How can they employ themselves who cannot read, or those who 
prefer to pray mentally. Can you make the ceremonies remind you 
of the Passion ? What does the priest do first ? How does it re- 
mind you of the P-assion ? What second ? Of what does it remind ? 
What third ? Of what does it remind ? 



276 THE MASS-II. 

Herod; and back again to Pilate; and in these stages 
of his Passion he is ill-treated by his enemies, mocked, 
spit upon, struck on the face, condemned, and delivered 
up to be crucified. \Make acts of meekness^ patience^ 
humiliation^ etc.] The reading of the Gospel represents 
our Lord's preaching. [Z>uri?ig the " GospeV and the 
" Creed'' make lively acts of Faith ^ and resolve to practice 
what Faith teaches^ begging God's grace for this purpose.] 

4. The Priest uncovers the Chalice, and offers the Host. 
Christ is stripped of his cl6thes, and, after having been 
scourged and crowned with thorns, he is exhibited to the 
people: " Behold the man." (John xix. 5.) Our Blessed 
Lord offered all these sufferings to atone for our sins of 
sensuality, pride and vanity. \Make acts of contrition 
for these sins, and of love and gratitude towards Christ, 
from the consideration of what he has done to expiate 
them.] 

5. The Priest washes his hands to show the purity of 
heart with which we ought to assist at the Holy Sacri- 
fice. This may remind us of Pilate " washing his hands 
before the people, saying : I am innocent of the blood 
of this just man." (Matt, xxvii. 24.) But Pilate was 
not innocent, for "he delivered up Jesus to be cruci- 
fied." (Matt, xxvii. 26.) [Think how often you also 
have been guilty of similar self-delusions j deplore these 
unhappy delusions, and beg of God to preserve you from 
them in future.] 

6. The Priest, going to the middle of the Altar, boim 
down in silent prayer; then, turning toward the people, 
he says : " Brethren, pray that my Sacrifice and yours 
may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty. Christ, 
going to Calvary, falls down ; and then, turning round 
to the pious women, s>diys : " Daughters of Jerusalem, weep 
not over me, but weep for yourselves and for your chil- 
dren." (Luke xxiii. 28.) [Mere compassion for his suf- 
ferings is not sufficient, but we must hate a7id lament the 

What fourth ? Of what does it remind ? What fifth ? Of what 
does it remind ? What sixth ? Of what part of the Passion does it 
remind ? 



THE MASS— II. 277 

CAUSE of them ^ viz.^ our own sins ; and we should beg of 
God to accept this Sacrifice i7t satisfaction for what we owe 
to his yustice^ that both we and our offering may be pleas- 
ing in his sight. \ 

7. The Priest having come to the " Canoh,'^ commences 
that part of the Mass wherein the Sacrifice or mystical 
immolation properly takes place. This may represent 
Christ arrived at Calvary^ when the Jews begin to nail 
him to the Cross. \^Endeavor to die to si?t, to your pas- 
sions^ to the worlds and resolve by daily mortifications and 
self denials., to o^er yourself a continual sacrifice or obla- 
tion to God.] 

(During this portion of the Mass the bread and wine are conse- 
crated, and are then no longer bread and wine, but the body and 
blood of Christ, who is then truly present upon the Altar under the 
appearance of death. ) 

8. After pronomicing the words of Consecration, the 
Priest elevates and adores. The Elevation may remind 
us of Christ's being raised up on the Cross; and the 
separate consecration represents the shedding of his 
blood for us. \At this solemn part bow down in silent 
adoration^ offer your whole heart and soul to your Blessed 
Redeemer., dedicating yourself irrevocably to his service., and 
pouring forth fervent acts of love ^ gratitude ^ contrition., etc. 

These are most precious moments ; take care^ therefore^ to 
employ them well.] 

9. After the Elevation, the Priest, extending his hands, 
says a number of prayers in silence. Christ, with his 
hands extended on the Cross, silently offers his suffer- 
ings and Sacrifice to his Father, and gives up his soul 
with perfect resignation into his hands. (Luke xxiii. 
46.) \'yoin with your Redeemer in offering the same., a?td 
pray most earnestly that the merits of this sacrifice may be 
applied to you for the pardon of your sins, and for the en- 
riching of your soul with all the graces and blessings you 
stand in need of.] 

What seventh ? Of what does it remind ? What eighth ? Of 
what does it remind? What ninth ? Of what does it remind? 



278 THE MASS— II. 

10. At the ^ 'Agnus Dei" the Priest strikes his breast^ 
saying : " Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of 
the world, have mercy on us." Say the same yourself 
Avith heartfelt .sorroAV ; like the Jews, who "returned 
home striking their breasts," and saying : " Indeed this 
was the Son of God " (Matt, xxvii. 54 ; Luke xxiii. 48) 
whom we have crucified ! [ Think with sorrow how often 
YOU have crucified him again by your sins (Heb. vi. 6), 
and strike your breast to testify your sorrow ^ and implore 
his mercy \ 

11. The Priest breaks the Host, dividing it into three 
parts. The soldiers pierce the side of Christ, as if to 
open to us a way to his divine heart, that treasury of all 
graces. \Beg of your Lord to inflame your heart with an 
ardent love of him^ and coficeive longing desires of being 
united to him, that he may enrich your soul with the treas- 
ure of his graces ^^ 

12. The Communion may remind you of Christ's 
burial, and of his descent into Limbo. [If you have not 
the happiness to receive your Blessed Lord sacramentally , 
make here a spiritual communion; that is, make an 
Act of Hvely Faith in what the Church teaches concern- 
ing the Holy Communion, an Act of Hope, or Confi- 
dence in the goodness and bounty of Christ, a fervent 
Act of Charity, uniting therewith sentiments of sincere 
repentance for your sins ; then conceive in your heart 
an ardent desire of being united with Christ in the Holy 
Communion, and, in these dispositions, entreat him to 
come into your soul by a spiritual Communion, and to 
confer upon you those precious gifts and special graces 
which he communicates so abundantly to those happy 
souls, who, being duly prepared, received him sacra- 
mentally.^ 

13. After the Communion, the Priest turns towards 
the people and says : " The Lord be with you,'' After 
his resurrection, Christ says to his Apostles : " Peace be 
with you.'' (John xx. 19-21.) [Implore the grace of 

What tenth ? What eleventh ? What twelfth ? 



THE MASS— II. 279 

perseverance^ that, avoiding sin in future, you may enjoy 
the PEACE of a good conscience, and that, advancing con- 
timially in virtue, you may arrive at that perfection to 
which God calls you \ 

14. Before leaving the Altar, the Priest blesses the 
people. Christ blesses his Apostles before leaving them 
by ascending into heaven. \Receive this blessifig with 
great devotion, humility^ ana confidence in the divine good- 
ness^ 

Thus you see how every part of the Mass may serve 
to remind you of some circumstance of our Lord's Pas- 
sion, and to excite within you corresponding sentiments 
of piety, such as are proper for the time of Mass. 

III. Another method of assisting at Mass with great 
advantage, is to confine yourself chiefly to the four great 
ends of Sacrifice, viz. : ist. To adore God ; 2dly, To sup- 
plicate him for mercy and pardon; 3dly, To implore 
his graces and blessings ; and, 4thly, To thank him for 
all his benefits. 

1. In the First Part of the Mass (which is from the 
beginning to the end of the Gospel or Creed), employ 
yourself in making Acts of profound adoration and hu- 
mility, acknowledging God's supreme dominion over 
you, and your entire dependence on him. 

2. In the Second Part (which is from the Ofiertory to 
the Canon), call to mind your sins; lament them in 
bitterness of soul ; send forth to God repeated and fer- 
vent supplications for mercy, imploring the gift of true 
repentance, that you may obtain the divine forgiveness. 
To these acts of contrition join firm purposes of amend- 
ment, resolve to avoid sin in future, and make your 
resolutions decisive diXidi practical, praying for grace that 
you may be enabled to reduce them to practice. 

3. The Third Part of the Mass is from the " Canon " 
to the '' Pater Noster." At the Elevation, bow down 

What thirteenth ? What fourteenth ? Have you another method ? 
What do you do in the first part ? What in the second ? What in the 
third ? What in the tourth ? 



280 THE MASS— II. 

in silent adoration of Jesus Christ, who is then present 
on the Altar, and offer him your whole heart and soul. 
Employ the rest of this part in begging, thrgugh the 
merits of this divine Sacrifice, all the gifts and graces 
you stand in need of, and the virtues which ought to be 
your daily practice, viz. : Faith, Hope, and Charity, 
Humility and Chastity, Patience, Resignation, and Con- 
formity to God's will, the Spirit of Mortification and 
Penance, etc. Make similar petitions for your friends, 
and for all mankind. 

4. The Fourth Part is from the " Pater Noster " to 
the end of the Mass. In this part make a spiritual 
Communion^ by conceiving an ardent desire to receive 
your Blessed Lord, and by inviting him to come and 
take up his abode in your soul, that henceforth you may 
abide in him and he in you. Then, considering the 
great and special favors you have received from God, 
thank him for them from your heart, and beg a continu- 
ance of them; deplore your past ingratitude, and resolve 
to be more grateful in future, and to testify your grati- 
tude by a good life. 

The Mass being finished, thank God for the favor of 
having been allowed to assist at it, and leave the church 
with the same feelings of compunction, gratitude, and 
love with which you would have left the crucifixion on 
Mount Calvary. 

Conclusion. — If you had always assisted at Mass in 
this devout manner, how many graces and blessings 
would you have thereby obtained ! Be resolved now at 
least to correct all past neghgences, by hearing Mass in 
future " with very great attention and devotio7i^^ and then 
you will not fail to advance rapidly in virtue. 

[When persons are prevented, by an unavoidable im- 
pediment, from being present at Mass, they may, in 
some measure, supply for their absence, by attending in 
spirit during the time that the Holy Sacrifice is being 

What do you do in the fourth part of the Mass ? The Mass being 
finished, what should we do ? 



PENANCE— I. 281 

offered, and they may thus obtain very great spiritual 
advantages. 

For this purpose, let them (while Mass is being said) 
represent themselves as being actually present before 
the Altar of God, joining with the Priest, and with the 
assembled Faithful, in offering up the adorable Sacrifice, 
and then let them go through the same devotions, and 
endeavor to excite the same sentiments and feelings, 
and make the same petitions, as they would do if they 
were assisting at Mass really. Let them not forget to 
commemorate the Passion of Christ, to attend to the 
four great ends of Sacrifice, and to make a spiritual 
Communion, and also to beg of God, with all the fervor 
of their soul, to bestow upon them those special graces 
and blessings which he gives to the Faithful who hear 
Mass attentively and devoutly.] 



Instruction LII. 

PENANCE. — I. 

Penance is a true Sacrament — /. e.^an Outward Sign of 
Inward Grace ^ instituted by Christ — its Minister ; its 
Necessity ; its Effects, 

What is the Sacrament of Penanced — Penance is a Sacrament in 
which, by the Priest's absolution, joined with contrition, confession, 
and satisfaction, the sins are forgiven which we have committed 
after Baptism. 

How do you prove that the Priest has power to absolve sinners if 
they be truly penitent? — From the words of Christ: ** Whose sins 
you shall forgive, they are forgiven." — John xx. 23. 

How wonderfully God has manifested towards us his 
goodness, bounty, and love in the institution of the 
three Sacraments already explained; for in Baptism he 
gives us a new and spiritual birth, whereby we receive 

What do you conclude ? 



282 PENANCE— !• 

the life of grace, are made members of the Church of 
Christ, and heirs of his heavenly kingdom ; in Confirm- 
ation he imparts to us the Holy Ghost, with his seven- 
fold gifts, whereby we are strengthened against our 
spiritual enemies; in the Holy Eucharist Jesus Christ 
communicates to us his own body and blood for the 
food and nourishment of our souls, whereby we receive 
grace to enable us to perform all our Christian duties. 
But, notwithstanding all this bounty and goodness on 
the part of God, what would still become of us if, after 
having lost his grace by mortal sin, we had no means 
of recovering it ? We should have to live and die in 
sin, and be lost eternally ! God mighty in his justice, 
have left us without such a means of pardon, as he left 
the fallen Angels ! 

How consoling, then, for us is the reflection that God 
in his tender mercy has provided for sinners an efficacious 
means of reconciliation with him ! This means is the 
Sacrament of Penance. How very important, therefore, 
it must be, that you should be well instructed in the na- 
ture of this institution of mercy, and in the manner of 
making a good and profitable use of it; for it is for the 
want of such instruction that many sinners neglect the 
Sacrament of Penance; that many others derive but 
little benefit from it, and that many even make it a means 
of increasing their guilt by sacrilegiously profaning it. 
I will endeavor, therefore, to ^iyq full instructions on 
each part of this Sacrament. 

I. Whaty then^ is the Sacrament of Penance ? — Penance is a 
Sacrament in which, by the priest's absolution, joined with con- 
trition, confession and satisfaction, the sins are forgiven which we 
have committed after baptism. 

There is a difference between penance as a virtue and 
penance as a Sacrament. \Show the difference. \ I have 

What do we receive in Baptism, Confirmation or the Eucharist ? 
Would they be sufficient if we fell into sin without penance ? \Vhat 
is the means of reconcihation ? Is there any difference between 
the virtue of penance and the sacrament of penance ? 



PENANCE— I. 283 

to speak of it now as a Sacrament^ i, <?., as an outward 
sign of inward grace instituted by Christ. 

1. There is the " outward sign " (or that part which 
is performed externally by the penitent and the priest), 
viz., the three acts of the penitent — contrition, confession 
and satisfaction — which are as the matter of this Sacra- 
ment, and the words of absolution, pronounced by the 
priest, which are its form. The three acts of the peni- 
tent, being outwardly expressed or externally manifested, 
are properly and naturally taken to signify an inward 
change of heart. They have been divinely appointed to 
be signs of inward remission, and the words of absolu- 
tion determine those acts more clearly to this significa- 
tion ; for the absolution pronounced over the self-accused 
penitent outwardly expresses and therefore signifies the 
inward remission which it operates. 

2. There is the "inward grace" or inward part of 
this Sacrament), namely, the remission of the guilt of 
sin. For thus Christ says to the pastors of his Church : 
" Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them ; 
and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." 
(John XX. 23.) Therefore when the priest pronounces 
absolution over a penitent sinner, God ratifies the sen- 
tence and gives sanctifying grace to the soul. 

3. There is the "institution of Christ." Christ 
instituted this Sacrament and gave the power of admin- 
istering it when he said to the Apostles : " Receive ye 
the Holy Ghost : whose sins you shall forgive, they are 
forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, they are 
retained." (John xx. 22, 23.) He had previously prom- 
ised this power, saying : " Whatsoever you shall bind 
upon earth shall be bound also in heaven, and what- 
soever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in 
heaven." (Matt, xviii. 18.) 

Proofs that the Church has this power : 

I. When Christ cured the paralytic, he worked that 

What is the ^^ outward sign" in this wSacrament? What is the 
inward grace in this Sacrament ? Where do you find the institution 
of Christ ? 



284 PENANCE— I. 

miracle for the express purpose of proving that he, as 
man^ had ^* power on earth to forgive sins." (Matt. xi. 6.) 
Now, 

2. Christ sent the Apostles (and through them their 
successors) with the same power. For, on the day of 
his resurrection he appeared to the Apostles and said : 
"• Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also 
SEND YOU. And when he had said this he breathed on 
them, and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 
whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; 
and whose you shall retain, they are retained." (John xx. 
21,2 2, 23.) " Whatsoever^^^^ shall bind upon earth shall 
be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever j^^^ shall loose 
upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt. 
xviii. 18.) 

3. St. Paul declares that God has given this power to 
the Church : " God hath reconciled us to himself by 
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of (this) recon- 
ciliation (i. e., the power of pronouncing the Words of 
Absolution). For Christ, therefore, we are ambassa- 
dors." (2 Cor. V. 18, 19, 20.) 

4. The Church has constantly taught this doctrine and 
has always exercised this power. 

5. All the ancient heresies have likewise held the 
same, and it is even taught by the Protestant Church of 
England in the '' Order of the Visitation of the Sick." 

11. Minister. — None but priests can administer the 
Sacrament of Penance ; and not all priests, for, besides 
valid ordination, jurisdiction is necessary; that is to say, 
the priest must have received faculties from the Bishop 
for the administration of this Sacrament. But the Church 
supplies all necessary jurisdiction to any priest with re- 
gard to those who are in imminent or immediate danger 
ot death (in articulo mortis). 

Why did Christ cure the paralytic ? How do you show that the 
Church has received the power of forgiving sin from the Gospel ? 
How from St. Paul ? Has the Church always exercised it? Who 
is the minister of the Sacrament of Penance ? 



PENANCE— 1. 285 

III. Necessity of Penance. — Since its institution 
this Sacrament is as necessary for the remission of mor- 
tal sin committed after baptism as baptism is for the re- 
mission of original sin. Hence, whatever good works 
we might do, however much we might pray, fast and 
give alms, even though we should spend our whole lives 
in repenting and doing penance, we could not obtain 
pardon of a mortal sin unless we would comply with this 
necessary condition of reconciliation, unless we would 
have recourse to those to whom alone ^' God hath given 
the ministry of reconciliation." 

When does this obligation of the Sacrament of Penance urge or 
require the faithful to have recourse to it ? 

The Ecclesiastical precept, 07ice a year; but the natural 
and divine precept, after mortal sin, when we have to re- 
ceive another Sacrament, and when in danger of death. 
When they who are in mortal sin neglect or defer the 
appointed means of pardon, how fearful the danger 
wherein they live ! How awful, how fatal the conse- 
quences to which they expose themselves ! 

IV. Effects. — The Effects of this Sacrament are 
these : 

1. It remits the guilt of sins committed after baptism .• 
"Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven 
them." Therefore when the priest absolves a penitent 
sinner on earth, God absolves him at the very same in- 
stant in heaven. This Sacrament remits all sins, how- 
ever grievous or numerous they may be. 

2. It remits also the eternal punishment due to our sins; 
but the temporal punishment may remain. 

3. It restores (or if the penitent be already in grace, it 
increases) sanctifying grace ; it restores to us also our 
right and title to the kingdom of heaven which we had 
lost. 

4. It revives in us the merits which we had gained by 
doing good works in a state of grace, but which we after- 
wards lost by consenting to mortal sin. 

Is it necessary ? 



286 PENANCE— I. 

5. It confers actual grace and strength to resist 
temptations. 

In order to obtain these happy effects, four things are 
required, viz., Contrition, Confession, Satisfaction and 
Absolution ; that is to say : i . You must detest and re- 
nounce your sins. 2. You must confess them. 3. You 
must be resolved to expiate them. 4. You must receive 
absolution from a priest. In the subsequent Instructions 
I will endeavor to give a full explanation of each of 
these necessary conditions of pardon. 

Conclusion. — Thank the infinite mercy and good- 
ness of God for having instituted this efficacious means 
of rescuing us from sin and hell, and of restoring to us 
his sanctifying grace and our title to the kingdom of 
heaven. Whenever you shall have had the misfortune 
of falling into the dreadful evil of mortal sin, have imme- 
diate recourse to this Sacrament of reconciliation, and 
do not imitate the example of so many unhappy sinners 
who refuse or neglect to make use of this effectual means 
of pardon. For how many are there who are so negli- 
gent, so indifferent, with regard to this Sacrament, that 
all the exhortations and entreaties of their Pastor are 
not sufficient to induce them to have recourse to it! 
What a dreadful state of spiritual insensibility they must 
be in ! What regret— what bitter remorse they are pre- 
paring for the hour of their death, and perhaps for eter- 
nity ! Never let this be the case with you^ but if you 
have any reason to fear that you are in a state of sin, 
make your peace with God without delay. \Exhort to 
frequent Confession^ 

What are the four things required to obtain these effects ? What 
doy ouc onclude ? 



PENANCE— II. 287 

Instruction LIII. 

PENANCE — II. 

Contrition : its Nature — its Necessity — its Qualities. 

What are the parts of Penance ? — Contrition, Confession and 
Satisfaction. 

What is Contrition ? — Contrition is a hearty sorrow for our sins, 
by which we have offended so good a God, with a firm purpose of 
amendment. 

What is a firm purpose of Amendment 9 —It is a resolution, by 
the grace of God, not only to avoid sin, but also the , occasions 
of it. 

Why are we to be sorry for our sins 9 — The chiefest and best 
motive to be sorry for our sins is for the love of God, who is 
infinitely good in himself, and infinitely good to us ; and, there- 
fore, we ought to be exceedingly grieved for having offended him. 

What other motives have we to be sorry for our sins 9 — Because by 
them we lose heaven and deserve hell. 

The first and most essential part of Penance is Con- 
trition, the nature^ necessity and qualities of which I will 
now explain ; and after that I will show the means of 
obtaining it., and also the marks whereby you may judge 
whether you have it or not. 

I. Its Nature. — What^ then^ is Contrition^ Contrition is a 
hearty sorrow for our sins, by which we have offended so good a 
God; with a firm purpose of amendment. 

The word "contrition" means a breaking to pieces ; 
and, consequently, by a " contrite heart/' is meant a heart 
broken with grief for sin. 

Contrition, therefore, is an inward sorrow — a repent 
ance which grieves and afflicts the soul, arising from the 
consideration of the ^z^// committed against God. *' When 
thou shalt seek there the Lord thy God, thou shalt find 
him ; yet so, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and 
with all the affliction of thy soul^ (Deut. iv. 29.) " Rend 
your hearts and not your garments." (Joel ii. 13.) This 
sorrow or repentance necessarily contains two things, 
viz., a hatred of one's past life., and a resolution of a new 
life : so as to be able to say with the penitent David : 

What two things does true Contrition contain ? 



288 PENANCE— II. 

" I have hated all wicked ways .... I have hated and 
abhorred iniquity, but I have loved thy law. ... I have 
sworn and am determined to keep the judgments of thy 
justice .... I have inclined my heart to do thy justifi- 
cations forever." (Ps. cxviii. 128, 163, 106, 112.) 

II. Its Necessity. — This inward sorrow, or repent- 
ance for sin, is, and always was, necessary {necessitate 
medii et prcecepti), being both an essential means of par- 
don, and also a positive precept of the divine law : *' Be 
converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in 
weeping, and in mourning" (Joel ii. 12); ^^ and make 
to yourselves a fiew heart and a new spirit, ^^ (Ezech. 
xviii. 31.) 

Consequently absolution does not and cannot recon- 
cile a sinner to God, unless he be a Xxuly pe?titent sinner ; 
for without true repentance absolution is null and void. 
Therefore a Priest cannot (and must not) absolve any 
sinner when he has reason to believe there is no true re- 
pentance ; and one sign of the repentance not being true 
is when the penitent will not adopt the ?neans of amend- 
ment /r<?^m^d'^ ^//^ r<f^^/r^^ by his Confessor. 

You see, then, the nature and necessity of Contrition. 
And the explanation which I will now give of its essen- 
tial qualities will show this more clearly. 

III. Its Qualities. — The essential qualities of Con- 
trition are these : It must be internal in its nature, super- 
natural in its motive, universal'm. its extent, and predomi- 
na7it in its degree. Both con\x\i\ox). and ^/trition (that is to 
say, both perfect and imperfect Contrition) must neces- 
sarily have these four qualities. 

I. Internal. — Our Contrition (whether perfect or im- 
perfect) must spring from, and reside in, the heart — it 
must be the real, inward disposition of the soul. Mere 
external appearances, therefore, or outward expressions, 
are not sufficient. *^ Rend your hearts, and not your 
garments." (Joel ii. 13.) " When thou shalt seek there 
the Lord thy God thou shalt find him; yet so if thou 

Can you show its necessity ? Does a Priest always absolve ? 
Mention a sign of repentance not being true. What are the qualities 
of Contrition ? Explain and prove that Contrition must be internal. 



PENANCE— II. 289 

seek him with all thy hearty and with all the affliction of 
thy soiiiy (Deut. iv. 29.) It is not enough, then, to 
recite Acts of Contrition, unless the heart accord with the 
words of the mouth, for it is to the heart that God looks. 
As the malice of sin proceeds from the heart (Matt. xv. 
8, 18, 19), so likewise must repentance for sin. 

2. Supernatural, — Our Contrition (^\it\htx perfect ox 
imperfect ) \rm?>t spring from supernatural ;;^^//z'^x y i.e., 
from motives which are taught by Faith, and excited in 
us by the Holy Ghost. The Council of Trent declares 
that Attritiofi is " the gift of GodP (Cone. Trid. Sess. 
14, de Poenit., cap. 4.) With what reason, then, must 
Contrition also be said to be his gift ? Therefore, to God 
we must apply for it. " Convert us, O Lord, to thee, 
and we shall be converted : renew our days as from 
the beginning." (Lam. v. 21.) 

A sorrow for sin may arise from two kinds of motives : 
natural and supernatural. It springs from natural mo- 
tives when it is excited by considering the evil conse- 
quences of sin, in the order of nature^ viz., disgrace and 
degradation in the eyes of men ; the loss of reputation, 
of health, or of property ; civil punishments, etc. These 
are mere natural motives of sorrow. [Example of Esau 
(Gen. xxvii. 21), of Saul (Kings xv. 24, 26, 30), and of 
Antiochus (Mac^ vi. 8-16). . Sorrow for sin springs from 
supernatural TCiOtwQS when it is excited by the considera- 
tion of the supernatural evils of sin — those evils which 
we learn from Faith or Religion — viz., the divine dis- 
pleasure; ingratitude toward God, and toward Jesus 
Christ : the loss of grace, of God, and of heaven ; the 
divine vengeance, etc. These are all supernatural mo- 
tives for sorrow, and from such kind of motives repent- 
ance for sin must necessarily spring. 

But in these supernatural motives there is a very great 
difference, some being far more perfect than others. And 
it is this difference of the motive that makes the dif- 

Explain what is meant by supernatural sorrow. When is sorrow 
natural ? Can you name the supernatural motives ? 

19 



^90 PENANCE— II. 

ference between Contrition and Attrition : both, indeed, 
must proceed from supernatural motives ; but Contri- 
tion is a sorrow for sin arising from the^^r^ love of God 
or Charity^ as when we repent of sin because it oftends a 
God who is infinitely good in hijuself ; and Attrition 
is a sorrow for sin arising from the fear of punishments 
in the next Hfe, or from some other supernatural motive, 
accompanied with some beginni?tg of the love of God. 
" Blessed is the man to whom it is given to have 
the fear of God^^ for " the fear of God is the beginning of 
his love.'' (Eccli. xxv. 15, 16.) This difference of the 
motive is the only difference between Contrition and 
Attrition, as regards their qualities : but, as regards their 
effects, there is another difference, which is, that Contri- 
tion (which includes a desire of receiving the Sacrament 
of Penance) remits the guilt of sin immediate Iv, before 
the Sacrament be actually received ; whereas Attrition 
disposes and prepares the penitent for receiving that 
remission in the Sacrament ; when the words of absolu- 
tion are pronounced over him, not before, (6>^r Cone. 
Trid., Sess. 14, de Poenit., cap. 4.) 

3. Universal. — Our Contrition (whether perfect or im- 
perfect^ must be universal in its extent; i. e., it must ex- 
tend to all our mortal sins, without excepting any one : 
" Be converted, and do penance for al^, your iniquities, 
and iniquity shall not be your ruin." (Ezech. xviii. 30.) 

Eve?y mortal sin offends God grievously, deprives us 
of heaven, and renders us deserving of hell. We have 
the same urgent motives, therefore, for repenting oi ariy 
one of them as for repenting of the others. One mortal 
sin cannot be forgiven without all the rest being par- 
doned with it, because we cannot be in the state of 
grace and of mortal sin at the same time. 

If a penitent confess both mortal and venial sins in 
the same confession, and has Attrition for all his mortal 

Can you explain the difference between contrition and attrition, 
both in regard to quality and effect? Must sorrow be universal and 
to what its extent ? 



PENANCE— II. 291 

sins only, then these, and these only, will be remitted 
by absolution. If (not being under the guilt of mortal 
sin) he confess only venial sins, and has Attrition for 
some of them, but not for the others, then he receives 
pardon of those only for which he has Attrition ; but if 
he has Attrition for none of them, and knowingly re- 
ceives the Sacrament in this state of soul, then his Con- 
fession is sacrilegious^ and it is for fear of this that Con- 
fessors sometimes tell the penitent to mention some sin 
of \\\^ past life for which he is truly sorry. 

4. Fredomi?iant. — Our Contrition (whether perfect or 
imperfect^ must be predominant in its degree; i. e., our 
sorrow for sin must predominate in the soul ; it must be 
greater than our sorrow for any other evil; we must 
prefer to suffer any other evil rather than be under the 
guilt of mortal sin. The degree of our sorrow ought, 
indeed, to be proportioned to tfie degree of evil for 
which we grieve : now, sin is the greatest of all evils, 
and, therefore, our sorrow for it should be predominant 
in the soul. We need not, however, feel the sorrow 
so much, or be so sensibly afflicted as for temporal 
losses : but sin must displease us more, or be more hate- 
ful to us, than any other evil, however sensibly we may 
feel that evil. Tears and lamentations (which may be 
delusive) prove not the greatness of our sorrow for sin, 
but only of our iiatural sensibility. The best and surest 
sign whereby we may know the greatness of our contri- 
tion, and its predominance in the soul, is when we have 
a will to suffer any thing rather than offend God by sin, 
when we are able with truth to say, in the words of St. 
Paul : " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? 
Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or danger, or 
persecution, or the sword? .... I am sure that neither 
life nor death, nor things present nor things to come, 
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from 
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

What sins does absolution remit when both mortal and venial are 
confessed? Should sorrow be predominant? Must it be sensibly 
felt? What is the best and surest sign of it? 



292 PENANCE— III. 

(Rom. viii. 35-39. Vide S. Thomae, 3 part sum. suppl., 
q. 3, a. I.) This shows the predominance of our sorrow 
for sin, or that we hate sin above all other evils. 

Such are the essential qualities of Contrition (both 
perfect and imperfect) as regards the past, but there is 
another quality, equally essential, as regards the future ; 
viz., a firm purpose of amendment. And this will be 
explained in the next Instruction, together with the signs 
of true sorrow and the means of exciting it in the soul. 



Instruction LIV. 

PENANCE. — III. 

A Firm Purpose of Amendment ; Marks of a true Sorrow 
for Sin, and the Meafis of obtaining it. 

What are the parts of Penance? — Contrition, Confession, and 
Satisfaction. 

What is Contrition ? — Contrition is a hearty sorrow for our sins, 
by which we have offended so good a God, with a firm purpose of 
amendment. 

What is a firm purpose of amendments — It is a resolution, by 
the grace of God, not only to avoid sin, but also the occasions of it. 

Why are we to be sorry for our sins? — The chiefest and best 
motive to be sorry for our sins is for the love of God, who is in- 
finitely good in himself, and infinitely good to us, and therefore we 
ought to be exceedingly grieved for having offended him. 

What other motives have we to be sorry for our sins? — Because 
by them we lose heaven and deserve hell. 

How may we obtain this hearty contrition and sorrow for our 
sins ? — We must earnestly beg it of God, and make use of such con- 
siderations and meditations as may move us to it. 

Having shown the Nature and Necessity of Contrition, 
and also its essential qualities as regards the past, I have 
now to explain another quality, equally necessary, which 
has reference to the future ; viz., 2, firm purpose of amend- 
ment, after which I will show the Marks of true sorrow 
and the Means of obtaining it. 



PENANCE— III. 293 

I. A Firm Purpose of Amendment. — You must re- 
solve to amend your life, and to employ the proper 
means for this purpose, for without this there can be no 
true Contrition, and many Confessions are bad for want 
of it. When persons relapse after Confession, so soon, 
so easily, and so frequently, it is some sign that their 
resolution of Amendment was not sincere — that there 
was not that real change of heart which Contrition neces- 
sarily includes : " Make to. yourselves a new heart and 
a new spirit." (Ezech. xviii. 31.) 

As our sorrow for sin must have certain qualities^ so 
likewise must our resolution of Amendment ; it must be 
sincere, firm and efficacious, universal, and supernatural. 

1. Sincere. — Our resolution of a new life must come 
from the heart, and not consist in mere words only ; it 
must be something more than a mere promise or outward 
profession, for it must be a real determination of the will — 
a disposition of the soul to avoid both sin and the occa- 
sions that lead to it. To say we hate sin and will avoid 
it, and yet frequent and love the occasions of it, is to re- 
solve in words only and not in heart. Such a resolution 
is not sufficient — it is not sincere. 

2. Firm and Efficacious, — Our resolution of Amend- 
ment must be (not a vague wish, but) something decided 
— a complete determination of the will, not only to avoid 
sin and the occasions of it, but to take all necessary 
means for this purpose, and to persevere in this, what- 
ever it may cost to our natural inclinations. For other- 
wise our resolution is not firm and efficacious, but only 
a mere self-delusion. 

3. Universal, — We must have a resolution to avoid 
ALL sins, such at least as are mortal : "- 1 have restrained 
my feet from every evil way, that I may keep thy 
words.'* (Ps. cxviii. loi.) There must be no reserve. 

4. Supernatural. — Our resolution must spring, not 

What is meant by a firm purpose of amendment ? What are its 
qualities ? Explain each of them — sincere^ firm, universal, super- 
natural. 



294 PENANCE— III. 

from mere human or natural^ but from supernatural mo- 
tives, as from the love of God, the fear of God, etc. 

These quaUties show that our resolution of Amend- 
ment must h^ practical ; i. e., we are not to resolve in a 
mere general manner to avoid sin and to take the means 
of avoiding it, but we must descend to particulars, we 
must enter into details ; we must see what means are to 
be employed in this particular case, and what in that ; 
and we must resolve to begin from the present moment to 
employ them accordingly. 

I have now explained the nature and qualities of Con- 
trition, both as it regards sorrow for the past and a reso- 
lution of Amendment for the future ; and I entreat you to 
examine whether j^^/r sorrow and resolution have been 
such as are required, such as have been described in this 
and the preceding Instructions. 

II. Marks of true sorrow for sin. — Although you 
can never be absolutely certain that your Contrition has 
been really such as it ought necessarily to be, neverthe- 
less, you may have a well-grounded confidence that it 
has had at least the necessary qualities. And the signs 
which may give you such confidence are these : 

1. If you do really amend your life. 

2. If you mortify yourself in expiation of past sins and 
as a preservative against future transgressions. 

3. If you are careful and resolute in avoiding the 
occasions of sin. 

4. If for these purposes you frequent the Sacraments, 
pray and meditate, attend to spiritual reading, and are 
regular and diligent in your religious duties. 

Unless there be such signs as these you have reason 
to fear that there has been some deficie?icy, either in your 
sorrow or in your resolution of amendment. 

III. Means of obtaining Contrition. — I will now 
explain the means which should be employed in order to 
excite Contrition in the soul. 

Can we be absolutely certain that we have sorrow ? What are 
marks of true sorrow ? What the means of obtaining, and what 
should we consider first ? What second ? 



PENANCE— III. 295 

1. Consider how sin provokes the anger of God I For 
he not only excludes impenitent sinners from his heavenly 
kingdom, but casts them body and soul into hell, " into 
everlasting fire," where " they have no rest either day or 
night, but the smoke of their torments shall ascend up 
forever and ever." (Apoc. xiv. ii.) Oh ! ^^ it is a fearful 
thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 
X. 31.) 

2. Consider the great evil of sin in its oivn nature: 
that it is an outrage offered by a mere worm of the earth 
against God's infinite Majesty, against his infinite good- 
ness and perfections. Reflect, then, who you are and 
who God is, and how great, therefore, must be the evil 
of sin I 

3. Consider the evil of sin, moreover, in its consequences 
or effects in the soul during life ; that it deprives you of 
sanctifying grace or spiritual life; makes you the enemy 
of God and slave of the devil ; destroys all your happi- 
ness and peace of mind; renders you always restless 
and uneasy : " The wicked are like a raging sea which 
can never rest, and the waves thereof cast up dirt and 
mire : There is no peace for the wicked, saith the Lord 
God." (Is. Ivii. 20, 21.) 

4. Consider in sin its ingratitude against the good- 
ness and bounty of God^ which are infinite. [Paraphrase 
the followiftg words .•] " Judge between me and my vine- 
yard. What is there that I ought to do more to my 
vineyard that I have not done to it? Was it that I 
looked that it should bring forth grapes and it hath 
brought forth wild grapes ? And now I will show you 
what I will do to my vineyard. I w^ill take away the 
hedge thereof and it shall be wasted : . . . I will make it 
desolate: it shall not be pruned and it .shall not be 
digged, but briers and thorns shall spring up ; and I will 
command the clouds to rain no rain upon it." (Is. v. ^t"^-) 

5. Consider also its ingratitude toward Jesus Christ 
from the view of what he has suffered to expiate its guilt. 
See him agonizing in the Garden, scourged at the pillar, 

Should we meditate on its consequences thirdly ? What fourthly ? 



296 PENANCE— III. 

crowned with thorns, nailed to the Cross and expiring 
upon it in most excruciating tortures ! And why did he 
suffer all this ? For your salvation. Now, when you 
commit mortal sin, you make void in your regard all that 
he endured for you: you "crucify again the Son of 
God." (Heb. vi. 6.) 

[Paraphrase the following text ,•] " O my people, what 
have I done to thee, or in what have I molested thee ? 
Answer thou me. For I brought thee up out of the 
land of Egypt, and I delivered thee out of the house of 
slaves and sent before thy face Moses and Aaron." 
(Mich. vi. 3, 4.) 

Such considerations as these cannot fail to excite within 
your soul a sorrow for sin, and to make you cry out in 
deep compunction : " Oh ! what an evil I have com- 
mitted in committing sin ! ^ Who will give water to my 
head and a fountain of tears to my eyes, and I will weep 
day and night?' (Jer. ix. i.) ' O God, be merciful to 
me a sinner.'" (Luke xviii. 13.) 

6. But the first, the most necessary and most effica- 
cious means of obtaining contrition is Prayer: "Your 
heavenly Father will give the good spirit to them that 
ask him." (Luke xi. 13.) "Ask and you shall recQive.^' 
(John xvi. 24.) All these considerations, therefore, and 
every other means of contrition, must be commenced, ac- 
companied and terminated by fervent supplications to 
God, because contrition is His gift. 
What fifthly ? But what is the most necessary ? 



Instruction LV. 

PENANCE — IV. 

Perfect and Imperfect Contrition further explained — Ad- 
vantages of having the Fear of God. 

What is Contrition ? — Contrition is a hearty sorrow for our sins, 
by which we have offended so good a God, with a firm purpose of 
amendment. 



PENANCE— IV. 29T 

What is a firm purpose of Amendment ? — It is a resolution by the 
Grace of God not only to avoid sin, but also the occasions of it. 

Why are we to be sorry for our sins ? — The chiefest and best mo- 
tive to be sorry for our sins is for the love of God, who is infinitely 
good in himself and infinitely good to us, and therefore we ought to 
be exceedingly grieved for having offended him. 

What other motives have we to be sorry for our sins? — Because by 
them we lose heaven and deserve hell. 

In the last two Instructions it has been shown how a 
sorrow for sin may spring from different supernatural 
motives. All the motives that are good are not equally 
good — they are not equally perfect ; and consequently 
the sorrow arising from those motives will not be equally 
perfect. Hence, you see how there are two kinds of 
contrition, perfect and imperfect. The sorrow which 
arises ixova perfect motives is perfect contrition, while that 
which arises from imperfect motives (if they be good 
and supernatural) is imperfect contrition. You will un- 
derstand this more clearly by an example. 

We will suppose, then, that there are three brothers 
who, by an act of wilful disobedience, have offended a 
good father, which is the case with every sinner when- 
ever he transgresses the laws of God. All three know 
they have provoked their father's anger and they expect 
punishment; they all repent and crave pardon^ but from 
different motives. 

The first son really loves his father; the thought of 
having displeased him fills his heart with sorrow; he 
thinks more of this than of the punishment ; he would 
willingly suffer the punishment to obtain pardon, and 
would gladly repair the evil he has done. [This is an 
example of perfect contrition.] 

The second son, so far as regards the love of his 
father, cannot (strictly speaking) be said to have any 
more than '' a beginning of love,'* for his love is not 
strong enough of itself to induce him to be sorry for the 
offense; but it requires the assistance of some other 

When is sorrow perfect ? When imperfect ? Give an example to 
illustrate it. 



298 PENANCE— IV. 

motive, such as the baseness of his conduct, the fear of 
punishment, etc. He has only (as I said) some beginning 
of love ; but he sincerely desires, and firmly resolves, to 
love his father in future and to perfect his love. [This 
is an example of imperfect contrition.] 

The third son is influenced by mere fear. Love has 
no part in his sorrow. He cares not for the displeasure 
of his father, but only for his chastisements or vengeance. 
He resolves, indeed, to obey in future, but solely from 
this motive of fear. Evidently this son would not deserve 
to receive pardon nor to escape punishment. [This is 
an example of such repentance as falls short of attrition.] 

Application. — Perfect contrition is a sorrow for sin 
arising from the pure love of God ; from the pure mo- 
tive of charity ; from the consideration of the infinite 
perfections of Him whom we have offended, or from the 
thought of that infinite goodness, both in himself and to 
us, which renders him infinitely deserving of our love. 
It is a sorrow, therefore, which proceeds not from the 
fear of chastisements, but from the thought of having 
offended a God so good. \Such mas the sorrow of the 
first S071. 1 As soon as any penitent has this kind of 
sorrow, he receives immediate pardon; yet not without 
an efficacious desire of receiving the Sacrament of recon- 
ciliation and of doing penance, which are two disposi- 
tions necessarily included in perfect contrition. Of this 
kind of contrition Almighty God says : " Charity cover- 
eth sins." (Prov. x. 12.) "I love them that love me." 
(Prov. viii. 17.) " He that loveth me shall be loved of 
my Father, and I will love him." (John xiv. 21.) " He 
that abideth in charity abideth in God and God in him." 
(i John iv. 16, vide S. Thomae, 3 part. Sum. suppl. q. 5, 
a. 3.) This contrition, perfected by charity, is exempli- 
fied in Magdalen : When she came into the presence 
of her Redemer, " she began to wash his feet with tears;" 
but they were tears flowing from a sorrow which love 

Make the application of this example to contrition, and particu- 
larly the example of the first son. What effect has it? 



PENANCE— IV. 299 

had excited, and hence our blessed Lord said : " Many 
sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much.*' 
(Luke vii. 37-50.) 

Although we should always strive to have perfect 
Contrition, yet it is not necessary for absolution. 

Imperfect Contrition^ or Attrition^ is a sorrow for having 
offended God arising commonly from the consideration 
of the baseness of sin, or from the fear of hell and of 
punishments. [This sorrow was represented by that of 
the second son.] A sinner who has this kind of Contri- 
tion repents partly because, in sinning, he has done 
something which faith teaches him to be unjust, base, 
and unworthy of man ; or because he dreads hell ; and 
partly because sin displeases God. This last motive 
shows that he has some beginning of love ; but his love 
is weak ; it requires aid from other motives to give his 
sorrow and resolution the necessary qualities. Hence, 
he considers the evils of sin, in its own nature^ and in 
its present and future consequences, ( Vide S. Thomas 
Sum. 2-2, q. 19, a 2 ; <f / 3 part. Sum. suppl. 9, i, a 3. ) 

This imperfect Contrition is not sufficient to obtain 
pardon for us without the Sacrament of Penance ; in - 
deed, to be sufficient with the Sacrament, it must, accord- 
ing to the Council of Trent, have these three qualities 
or conditions, which I will now mention : 

1. It must contain a sincere, firm and efficacious reso 
lution of Amendment (such as I have explained it). The 
sorrow must be sufficiently strong to produce a firm 
determination of the will to avoid sin in future : *' I have 
sworn and am determined to keep the judgments of thy 
justice," (Ps. cxviii. 106.) 

2. It must contain a Hope of pardon ; i. e., a confidence 
that God in his goodness will forgive us. This hope 
rests on, and springs from, the consideration of God's 
infinite goodness and mercy, of the merits of Christ, and 
of the divine promises ; and it naturally excites some 
beginniftg of love. 

Make the application of the second part. Will this Contrition suf- 
fice without the Sacrament ? What quaUties should it have ? 



300 PENANCE— IV. 

3. It must contain this beginningofthe love of God — ive 
must begifi to love him as the fountain of all justice ; i. e., 
as the only one from whom sinners can hope for justifi- 
cation, and from whom we do hope for it, as a free gift of 
his pure mercy and goodness. Without this beginning of 
love our sorrow would only be the effect of mere servile 
fear [like that of the third son] — the fear of a slave^ and 
not of a son ; and it would not obtain pardon. 

But when with this fear there are joined a hatred of 
sin and a resolution of avoiding it — a hope of pardon — 
and some beginning of the love of God, then the sinner 
has imperfect Contrition ; and the Sacrament of Penance 
has the effect of strengthening, and, in some degree, per- 
fecting this love in the soul ; because it puts the soul in 
a state of sanctifying grace, which cannot be without 
Charity; for " Charity and sanctifying grace (says 
Liebermann) are one and the same thing." And, there- 
fore, from being attrite when receiving the Sacrament, a 
penitent is enabled, by the power of the keys, to be con- 
trite {ex attrito fit contritus^\ because, together with the 
remission of his sins, he receives the, gift or grace of 
Charity^ which perfects Contrition. And hence St, 
Thomas says : ^^ Some, not being perfectly contrite (/>., 
being only attrite)^ obtained, by virtue of the keys, the 
grace of contrition." 

What I have been saying on Attrition as a prepara- 
tion or disposition for receiving sanctifying grace in the 
Sacrament of Penance, is in accordance with what the 
Council of Trent says when describing the manner in 
which Adults who have not been baptized are prepared 
for receiving the grace of justification in Baptism : 

"They are disposed unto the said justice when^ ex- 
cited and assisted by divine grace, .... they are freely 
moved towards God, believing those things to be true 
which God has revealed and promised ; and this espe- 
cially, that God justifies the impious by his grace, through 

What effect has ihQ potuer of the keys on persons having attrition ? 
Does this doctrine agree with the teaching of the Council of Trent ? 
How does the Council describe the justification of adults ? 



PENANCE— IV. 301 

the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ; and when^ under- 
standing themselves to be sinners^^ [they are struck with 
a fear of God, and,] *' by turning themselves from the 
fear of divine justice, whereby they are profitably agi- 
tated, to consider the mercy of God, they are raised unto 
hope^ confiding that God will be propitious to them^f 
Chrisfs sake ; and they begin to love him as the fountain 
of all justice, and are therefore moved against sin by 
certain hatred and detestation^ to- wit, by that penitence 
which must be performed before Baptism " [or before 
Absolution, with regard to sins committed after Bap- 
tism] ; lastly, when they purpose to receive Baptism," 
[or Penance, if the sinner be already baptized,] " to 
begin a new life, and to keep the commandments of 
God." ( Vide Cone. Trid., Sess. 6, cap. 6.) 

From this doctrine of the Council, it is evident that 
they who prepare for Confession sincerely and i7i earftest^ 
may console themselves with a well-grounded confidence 
that they will have the dispositions which are necessary 
and sufficient for receiving grace in the Sacrament. For^. 
those necessary and sufficient dispositions arise from the 
very exercise oi faith, fear of God, and hope of pardon 
— SOME BEGINNING OF THE LOVE OF GoD arises from the 
exercise of these ; and you do exercise them in the very 
act of going through the ordinary preparation, when you 
go through it sincerely and earnestly. 

On this point, St. Alphonsus Liguori says : " When- 
ever a Penitent has an act of Sorrow, he has also, even 
explicitly, acts of Faith and Hope (not indeed by direct 
reflection upon them, but by actually exercising them) ; 
because, without doubt, he does then actually believe 
and hope that in virtue of the merits of Christ his sins 

are forgiven him by the Sacrament of Penance 

And we say that a beginning of love is found in any Attri- 
tion, both in the fear of punishments to be inflicted by 
God, according to that of Ecclesiasticus xxv. i6: * The 

What is evident from this doctrine ? What does St. Alphonsus 
say on this point ? 



302 PENANCE—V. 

fear of God is the begiiining of his love ; ' and also in the 
hope of pardon and of eternal happiness^ according to these 
words of St. Thomas (i, 2, q. 40, a, 7): * From this, 
that we hope to obtain good things from any one, we 
begin to love him' " 

Advantages of having the fear of God : 

" Ye that fear the Lord, hope in him, and mercy shall 
come tp you for your dehght" (EccH. ii. 9) ; for " the fear 
of the Lord driveth out sin''' (Ecch. i. 27.) 

"Ye that fear the Lord, /<j7z;<f him, and your hearts 
shall be enlightened " (EccH. ii. 10); for "the fear of 
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom'' (Eccli. i. 16); "the 
fear of God is the beginning of his love." (Eccli, 
XXV. 16.) 

Consequently, " They that fear the Lord will prepare 
their hearts, and in his sight they will sanctify their 
souls'' (Eccli. ii. 20.) With reason, therefore, it is 
said : " Blessed is the man to whom it is given to have 
THE Fear of God." (Eccli. xxv. 15.) 



Instruction LVI. 

PENANCE — ^V. 



Necessity of Confession proved^ and its great Advantages » 

What are the parts of Penance? Contrition, Confession and 
Satisfaction. 

What is Confession ? It is to accuse ourselves of all our sins 
to a Priest 

Having explained the first part of Penance, viz.. Con- 
trition, we come now to the second, which is Confession. 
I will prove its Necessity, and show its great Advan- 
tages ; after which I will describe its necessary qualities, 
the manner of preparing for Confession, and how the 
Confession is to be made. 

What are the advantages of the fear of God ? 



PENANCE— V. 303 

I. Necessity of Confession. — Are we obliged to 
confess our sins ? Yes. Why ? In obedience to Chrst 
— to comply with his Institution. For he has instituted 
Confession as a necessary condition for obtaining the 
apphcation of his merits for the pardon of our sins. 

Proofs that Confession is a necessary condition of par- 
don : 

I. In the Old Law God prefigured this Institution. 
He ordained that every one infected with leprosy (a 
figure of sin), should be obliged to show himself to the 
Priest, whom he appointed to be the only authorized 
judge of leprosy. (Levit. xiii. 1-3.) And he prefigured 
it still more clearly by directly commanding Confession 
among the Jews as a legal observance : " Say to the 
children of Israel : When a man or woman shall have 
commited ariy of all the sins that men are wont to com- 
mit, and by negligence shall have transgressed the com- 
mandment of the Lord, and offended, they shall confess 
their sin." (Num. v. 6, 7.) 

The practice of Confession here enjoined is com- 
manded and enforced by the later Scriptures of the Old 
Testament : " He that hideth his sins shall not prosper ; 
but he that shall confess and forsake them shall obtain 
mercy." (Prov. xxviii. 13.) Again: " For thy soul be 
not ashamed to say the truth. For there is a shame that 
bringeth sin^ and there is a shame that bringeth glory and 
grace, ... Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but sub- 
mit not thyself to every man for sin." (Ecch. iv. 24, 25, 
31.) These last words show that they were indeed to 
submit themselves " to man^^ yet not " to every man," 
but only to those who were duly appointed to receive 
the Confession ; and the words ''hideth'^ and ^^ ashamed^^ 
also show that the Scripture speaks of Confession to 
man. 

Thus, then, by a divine command. Confession was 
practiced by the Jews as an act of penance ; and it con- 
Was Confession prefigured in the Old Law ? Was its practice 
commanded by the later Scriptures of the Old Testament? llovr 
long was it practiced by the Jews? 



304 PENANCE— V. 

tinued to be practiced by them till Christ came. For 
when St. John the Baptist was preaching penance and 
baptizing, " there went out to him Jerusalem and all 

Judea, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, 

confessing their sins^ Matt. iii. i, 2, 5, 6 ; Mark i. 4, 
5.) Therefore Confession is no novelty^ but much older 
than Christianity : it is as old as the Scriptures, and God 
is its author. 

2. The practice of Confession (thus instituted and 
commanded by God in the Old Law as a legal observ- 
ance conducive to penance), was raised by Jesus Christ 
in the New Law to the dignity of being sacramental: 
it was made an essential part of penance — a necessary con- 
dition of pardon. In fulfillment of what had been pre- 
figured, Christ appointed the Priests of the New Law to 
be judges of the spiritual leprosy of sin, with power 
of pronouncing pardon in his name : *'As the Father 
hath sent me, I also send you. And when he had said 
this, he breathed on them, and he said to them : Receive 
ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they 
are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain they are 
retained." (John xx. 21, 22,25.) " Whatsoever you 
shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven, and 
whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed 
also in heaven." (Matt, xviii. 18.) It is evident from 
these words that Christ appointed the ministers of his 
Church to act as Judges of consciences. Now, this judg- 
ment is not, of course, to be exercised at random, but 
with justice and discretion, after a full knowledge of the 
whole case to be decided. But a full knowledge of the 
case cannot be obtained except by the sinner's own con- 
fession ; therefore. Confession is necessary for the exer- 
cise of that power of forgiving and retaining sins which 
Christ has given to his Church. 

3. Confession having been thus made a necessary part 
of the Sacrament of reconciliation, the first co?iverts to 

To what was this legal observance raised by Jesus Christ? How 
does it follow from the fact tliat the ministers of the Church are judges 
of conscience that Confession is necessary? 



PENANCE— V. 305 

Christianity practiced it diCCordm^Y \ for we read in the 
Acts of the Apostles, that when St. Paul had been 
preaching for two years at Ephesus, " many of them 
that beUeved, came confessing and declaring their 
deeds'' (Acts xix. lo, i8.) Now, this must have been 
done in comphance with St. Paul's teaching. 

4. For the Apostles taught Confession as a means of 
pardon. Thus, St. John says : " If we say we have no 
sin we deceive ourselves " (i. e., it is a self-delusion if we 
expect pardon without complying with the necessary 
condition of confession); but "if we confess our sins, 
God is faithful and fust to forgive us our sins, and to 
cleanse us from all iniquity." (John i. 8, 9.) 

St. James likewise says : " Confess therefore your sins 
one to another, and pray one for another, that you may 
be saved." (James v. 16.) He had just directed that 
the Priest should be called in to the sick, and had said 
that their sins should be forgiven through his ministry : 
*^ Confess therefore your sins" to him, " that you may be 
saved," because this is a means and necessary condition oi 
reconciliation. 

St. Paul also, speaking of the reconciliation of sinners 
to God clearly shows that we must receive it through 
the ministry of the Priests. For the Apostle says : " God 
hath reconciled us to himself by Christ, and hath given 
TO us the ministry of {this) reconciliation. For God in- 
deed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, . . . 
and he hath placed \^ us the word of reconciliation 
(i. e., the words of absolution). For Christ, therefore, 
we are Ambassadors." (2 Cor. v. 18-20.) If, then, we 
should have part in this reconciliation, we must apply 
to those to whom alone God has given the ministry 
part of the Sacrament of Penance — a necessary part 
of it. 

Thus, then, even from Scripture alone, it is quite evi- 
dent that Confession is a divine institution — a necessary 
condition of reconciliation. 

Did the first Christians practice it ? Repeat the words of St. John. 
What does St. James say of it ? What St. Paul ? 
20 



806 PENANCE— V. 

5. All this has been declared, moreover, by the infal- 
lible decision of the Church. (Cone. Trid., Sess. 14, de 
Poenit., cap 5 ; et can. 6.) 

6. The arguments which have been already given are 
greatly confirmed by others drawn from the constant 
practice of the Church, from the very nature of Confession^ 
and even from the acknowledgments of the first Reform- 
ers, after they had abolished it, and had seen the sad 
consequences of its abolition. For, 

Firsts As to the constant practice of the Church, 
the necessity of Confession is at thepresent time the doc- 
trine and practice of the Catholic Church universally ; 
in the preceding age it was the same ; and so it has been 
in every age up to the Apostles. 

Secondly^ Even the very nature of this duty proves 
that it could not have been instituted otherwise than by 
divine authority. Confession is a duty so painful to our 
natural feelings, so humiliating to the sinner, that no 
human power could ever have succeeded in establishing 
the practice of it. For instance, suppose it to have been 
introduced at any time since the Apostles, what opposi- 
tion, what clamors, what outcries would have been raised 
against it? Now, we have no accounts of any such 
opposition ; and why ? Because it was instituted by 
God himself. But when attempts were made to abolish 
it, we have accounts of that. 

Thirdly^ We have even the acknowledgments of 
the Reformers themselves of the evil consequences of 
having abolished Confession. For, after its abolition, 
we hear them exclaiming that all restraints of vice 
seemed to be removed; that the passions of men were 
let loose, etc. : " The world grows worse and worse (says 
Luther), and becomes more wicked every day. Men 
are now more given to revenge, more avaricious, more 
devoid of mercy, less modest, and more incorrigible ; in 
fine, more wicked than in the Papacy." " Of the 

How do you show it from the practice of the Church ? How from 
the very nature of the duty? How from the acknowledgments of 
Reformers ? 



PENANCE- V. 307 

thousands who renounced Popery (says Calvin), how 
few have amended their Hves ! Indeed, what else did 
the greater part pretend to than by shaking off the yoke 
of superstition to give themselves more liberty, and to 
plunge into every kind of lasciviousness.'^ " The greater 
part of the people (says Bucer;, seem to have embraced 
the Gospel (by which he means the Reformation) only 
to live at their pleasure, and to enjoy their lusts and law- 
less appetites without control.'' Indeed, such were the 
sad consequences of having abolished Confession, that 
the Protestants of Nuremberg sent an embassy to the 
Emperor, Charles the Fifth, begging him to re-establish 
Confession by a public edict; but it was all in vain; for 
no other than a divine authority could establish the 
practice of Confession. 

II. No wonder there should be cause for such com- 
plaints when we consider the great Advantages of 
Confession, and in these we see the wisdom of God in 
giving us this salutary institution : 

1. Confession humbles the pride of the sinner. Pride 
leads from God ; it is the first principle of revolt in man : 
" The beginning of the pride of man is to fall off from 
God; ... for pride is the beginning of all sin." (Eccl. 
X. 14, 15.) 

Therefore, by appointing Confession as a necessary 
means of reconciliation, God strikes at the very root of 
the evil : we forsake God by pride, we must return to 
him by humiliation. 

2. Confession is a means of furnishing us with suitable 
remedies for our spiritual disorders. As, when we would 
obtain the remedies proper for the cure of bodily dis- 
eases, we must make knowfi to the physician the symp- 
toms of our complaint, so, etc. 

3. By means of Confession we obtain direction as to 
when we may or ought to receive the Holy Communion. 

4. Confession is a great check to vice : the very thought 
of having to confess prevents many sins. 

Can you explain the six advantages of Confession ? 



308 PENANCE— VI. 

5. It IS a powerful support to virtue : the snares of the 
enemy and the delusions of self-love are thereby de- 
tected, suitable advice is obtained, encouragement is 
given to those who are in spiritual difficulties, etc. 

6. Confession promotes the good of society. How 
many enmities are thereby cured, injustices repaired and 
frequently prevented, occasions of sin quitted, scandals 
avoided, etc. ? 

But (you will perhaps say) are there no enmities, in- 
justices, scandals, etc., among Catholics ? Unhappily, 
there are too many ! but among what kind of Catholics ? 
Are they found among those who frequent or those who 
neglect Confession ? Their example, then, proves the 
advantages af Confession. It is no wonder, therefore, 
that the Reformers complained of human passions being 
let loose, of men becoming every day worse and worse, 
when the practice of Confession had ceased to be in use 
among them. 

Conclusion. — I have now shown that Confession is 
a divine institution, and an essential part of the Sacra- 
ment of Penance ; and have described, moreover, some 
of its great advantages (acknowledged even by its very 
adversaries). I have yet to explain what kind of Con- 
fession is required of us, how to prepare for it, and how 
to make it. 

What do the scandals of bad Catholics prove ? What do you con- 
clude ? 



Instruction LVII. 

PENANCE. — VI. 

The Qualities of Confession ; General Confessions, 

What is Confession ? — It is to accuse ourselves of all our sins to 
a Priest. 

What if one wilfully conceal a mortal sin in Confession .''—He 
commits a great sin by telling a lie to the Holy Ghost, and makes 
his Confession nothing worth. 

What nuist we do that we may leave out no sin in Confession ? — 
We must carefully examine our conscience upon the Ten Command- 
ments and the seven deadly sins. 



PENANCE— VI. 309 

Having shown the Obligation and Advantages of Con- 
fession, I have now to explain its necessary Qualities, 
I will show, likewise, when a General Confession is re- 
quired, and how it is to be made. 

I. As to the necessary Qualities of Confession, it 
must be, 

1. Humble. — Your Confession should be accompanied 
with a sense of your misery — you should confess as a 
criminal who is conscious of his guilt ; you are not to 
throw the fault on others, nor to seek excuses, as Adam 
and Eve did in Paradise : " Adam said : The woman 
gave me of the tree and I did eat. And she answered : 
The serpent deceived me, and I did eat." (Gen. iii. 12, 
13.) You should receive in an humble and obedient 
spirit the advice and direction given by your Confessor : 
" He that heareth jf^^^ heareth meT 

2. Entire. — Your Confession must contain all your 
sins, at least all that are mortal^ and the number of each 
kind, together with all such circumstances as change 
the nature of any sin, and you should make it your 
practice, moreover, to mention those circumstances 
which considerably aggravate the guilt of your sins. 
Therefore, you must examine your conscience diligently, 
and confess all that you recollect ; but if, after a diligent 
examination, you cannot recollect all your sins, you 
need not be uneasy about that, because the absolution 
will extend to those sins which you cannot call to mind. 
If, with regard to any sin, you have a real doubt as to 
whether you committed it or not, or whether it was 
mortal, and still more, if, being certain of the sin^ both as 
to the ya:^/ of its commission and the mortal degree of 
its guilt, you have a reasonable doubt of having omitted 
to confess it, you should (and in the last case you must) 
confess the sin about which you have any such doubts, 
not, indeed, absolutely^ as if it were certain, but specifying 
your doubt. (But if, on account of being scrupulous, 

How do you show that Confession should be humble? How 
should Confession be entire ? What should be done in cases of 
doubt ? 



310 PENANCE— VI. 

you receive a different rule from your Director, you 
should fearlessly follow it by confessing only such sins 
as are certain — certain that you have committed them, 
certain that they are mortal, and certain that they have 
not been already confessed.) 

To omit any mortal sin, through want of due examin- 
ation of conscience, or wilfully and knowingly to conceal 
any, would render the absolution invalid and sacrile- 
gious. It is to be feared that many, through a false 
shame, yield to the temptation of concealing their sins : 
they are ashamed to confess with repentance what they 
are not ashamed to take pleasure in committing. 

Such false Penitents should remember that they and 
very considerably to their guilt, for they add the crime 
of hypocrisy, of telling a deliberate lie to the Holy 
Ghost, and of a sacrilegious Confession, followed gen- 
erally by a sacrilegious Communion. They should 
remember the terrible consequences of sacrilege, as ex- 
emplified in Baltassar (Dan. v), in Antiochus (2 Mac. 
ix), in Judas (Matt, xxvii. 3-5; Acts i. 16-18), in Ana- 
nias and Saphira (Acts v. i-io). False Penitents may 
deceive the Priest, but they cannot deceive God. 

To conceal sins in Confession is the greatest act of 
folly, because you must confess them sooner or later or 
else die in the guilt of them, and, in the meantime, 
your life will be miserable, because your conscience will 
be troubled. 

By concealing your sins now from only one person^ the 
consequence will be that, at the last day, they must be 
exposed to the whole world. 

[Explaifi the htviolable nature of the seal of Confessio?i.\ 

3. Sincere. — What has just been said of wilfully con- 
cealing sins is to be said also of imlfully disguisi?ig or ex- 
cusing them. They should be declared just as they are, 

What should scrupulous persons do? What omission would 
render absolution invalid? What is to be feared ? What should 
false penitents remember? How do you show the folly of con- 
cealing sins ? Should sins be confessed sincerely and without dis- 
guise ? 



PENANCE—VI. , 311 

without increasing or diminishing them : what is certain 
should be confessed as being certain, that is to say, it 
should be declared absolutely ; and what is doubtful 
should be represented as being such. You should en- 
deavor to lay open the state of your conscience as cor- 
rectly as you know it yourself. 

4. Simple. — Confession should be confined to your 
sins^ and not to be mixed up with the recital of such cir- 
cumstances as have nothing to do with the state of your 
conscience. You should avoid making known any other 
person who may be concerned in the sins you confess. 

II. General Confession. — There are two kiiids of 
confession, viz., particular^ i. e., of the sins committed 
since the last confession; zndi general^ i. e., either of one's 
whole life or including several particular confessions. 

When is a general confession necessary? When is it useful? 
When is it hurtful? 

Firsts It is necessary for those who have made bad 
confessions^ i. e., who have been wanting in the necessary 
integrity^ sorrow^ or resolution. 

If your conscience testifies that you have always ex- 
amined carefully, confessed sincerely^ employed diligently 
the proper means of exciting sorrow for your sins and a 
resolution of avoiding them in future, and, above all, if 
actual amendment gives reason to believe that you really 
had such sorrow and resolution, then, thank God, a gener- 
al confession is not necessary for you. But if, on the con- 
trary, you find that you have been really wanting in any 
of these points, you have then sufficient reason to be 
alarmed. 

There are eight classes of persons who are under a 
necessity of making a general confession : 

1. All those who have wilfully concealed any mortal 
sin through fear, shame or indifference. 

2. Those who, instead of having used sufficient dili- 

Should confession be simple ? Can you make known the persons 
concerned ? Which are the two kinds of confession ? When is a 
general confession necessary ? When not ? 



312 PENANCE— VI. 

gence, have been grossly negligent in the examination 
of their conscience. 

3. Those who have lived in gross and culpable ignor- 
ance of the necessary points of faith and practice. 

4. Those who have confessed without sincere repent- 
ance for the past or 2, firm resolution to avoid sin and the 
occasions of it in future 

5. Those who have continued both to go to confession 
and to live also in immediate occasions of sin, which they 
could but would not avoid. 

6. Those who have neglected restitution when they 
had the power and opportunity of making it. 

7. Those who have continued in vicious habits without 
employing the ordinary and prescribed means of correct- 
ing them. 

8. Those who have continued after their confessions 
(the same as before) to live on in enmity, hatred, malice, 
etc. 

The confessions of all such persons have been bad for 
want of proper dispositions, and must be repaired by a 
general confession, [Examine what your confessions have 
been.l 

Secondly^ A general confession is useful to those who 
have been leading a tepid life. It is frequently (for such 
persons) the beginning of a new life. The reason is be- 
cause it humbles them in their own eyes, moves them to 
greater sorrow for their sins and to a more determined 
resolution of avoiding them, and it gives an impulse to 
general fervor in taking proper means both of rooting 
out all vicious habits and of advancing in virtue. But 
its greatest utility and consolation are experienced on 
the death-bed, for who would not then rejoice at having 
put his house in order while in health ? What a com- 
fort to have done so ! because it is the time then (not to 
begin to prepare, but) to be prepared. Before you sleep 
to-night imagine yourself on your death-bed, and think 
what you would wish then to have done, and do that now. 

Which are the eight cases in which a general confession is neces- 
sary ? When is it useful ? 



PENANCE— VI. ' 313 

Thirdly^ Though necessary for many and useful to 
others, there are some to whom a general confession 
would be very injurious, viz., scrupulous and over- timid 
persons who frequently wish to make a general confession 
yainly, and presumptuously imagining that they will then 
be SATISFIED. Such persons should be satisfied with the 
decisiofi of their director. To do otherwise is not piety ^ 
but obstinacy, diad pride and delusion. It is not obeying 
God, but the inspirations of the devil. They can have 
nothing to fear in obeying an order established by God, 
and which he requires to be obeyed as himself. They 
must not proudly set up their own fancies against the 
decisions of their director. 

III. How is a general confession to be made? 

The devil will represent it as impossible, and will per- 
haps lead you to exclaim: " How can I make a sufficient 
examination ? How can I recall to my mind all the 
sins of ten or twenty or thirty years ? But the difficulty 
is not so great as it appears to be. 

For, in a general confession, it is not necessary to ex- 
amine venial sins in particular ; it is sufficient to accuse 
one's self of them in general. You need only examine 
7nortal sins ; and 

Your mortal sins have either been habitual or not. If 
habitual^ you cannot know the number of times; but 
you can say about how long you had the habit, about 
how often you fell in the day, week, month or year, and 
whether the habit was interrupted by periods of amend- 
ment, and about how long those periods were. 

If instead of being habitual the sins were but seldom 
committed, then it is not very difficult t»o make out the 
number of times or somewhere about it. St. Thomas 
says : " In confession no more is required from man 
than he is able [i. e., morally able] to do," You will 
receive great assistance from your confessor, and much 
more from God, to whom you should apply for it by 
frequent and fervent prayer. 

When would it be injurious ? What must be examined in partic- 
ular ? How .should you confess >^d;^/V/^<a!/ sins ? What about sins 
not habitual 



314 PENANCE— VII. 

Instruction LVIII. 

PENANCE — VII. 

Preparation for Confession, 

What is Confession? — It is to accuse ourselves of all our sins to a 
priest. 

What if one wilfully conceal a mortal sin in Confession ? — He 
commits a great sin by telling a lie to the Holy Ghost and makes 
his confession nothing worth. 

What must we do that ive may leave out no sin in Confession ? — 
We must carefully examine our consciences upon the Ten Command- 
ments and the seven deadly sins. 

Hoiv many things, then, have we to do by way of preparation for 
Confession ? — Four things : I. We must heartily pray to God for his 
grace to help us. 2. We must carefully examine our conscience. 
3. We must beg pardon of God and be very sorry from our hearts 
for offending him. 4. We must resolve to renounce our sins and to 
begin a new life for the future. 

To obtain a reconciliation with God, we must confess 
our sins truly ^ we must repent of them sincerely^ and we 
must resolve firmly to amend our hfe. But we cannot 
do so unless we know what we have to confess, to lament 
and to amend. Therefore we must examine all our 
thoughts, desires, words, actions and omissions whereby 
we have violated God's law. 

I. Hem) is this examination to be made 9 

I. We should begin by imploring light from above to 
know our sins. For we are too apt to be blind to our 
own faults : self-love and our passions naturally prejudice 
our reason, and the false maxims of the world assist in 
deluding us. Hence, we should pray with St. Augustine: 
" Lord, give me grace to know thee, and give me grace 
to know myself'' Our natural forgetfulness — the falli- 
bility of our memory — is another reason which should 
make us earnest, like holy Job, in our petitions for the 
divine light to enable us to know the true state of our 
consciences : " How many (he says) are mine iniqui- 
ties and sins ? Make me know my crimes and offenses." 
(Job xiii. 23.) 



PENANCE— VI T. 315 

2. You should not only implore the divine light to 
know your sins, but also a sincere detestation and sorrow 
for them as offenses to God, and a firm resolution of 
avoiding them during the remainder of your lives. For 
these dispositions are necessary for making a good con- 
fession, and they should properly accompany the exam- 
ination of your conscience ; and as they are gifts of God, 
to him you must apply for them. 

3. Having thus prayed to God for his hght and grace 
to help you, the next thing is to examine the state of 
your conscience by considering attentively and diligently 
what you have committed against God in thought, word 
and deed ; examining yourselves on the Commandments 
of God and his Church, on the seven deadly sins, and on 
the duties of your state of life. But, 

II. How much TIME and DILIGENCE must be given to this exam^ 
{nation 9 

1. As to diligence^ you should employ as much atten- 
tion and diligence in the examination of your conscience 
as prudence would require you to give to any other affair 
of great importance. [Example : If some one had un- 
justly deprived you of your property and taken possession 
of it himself, what care and diligence you would employ 
in procuring witnesses and in proving your right to the 
property, in order to recover your possession ? Now, 
apply this to your preparation for confession. Sin has 
robbed you of sanctifying grace and your title to the 
kingdom of heaven ; and absolution, preceded by a good 
confession, is the judicial act by which we are to recover 
both. What care and diligence, therefore, you ought to 
employ in your preparation for confession, which is an 
affair of so great importance ?] 

2. As to time, no universal rule can be given. The 
length of time which should be devoted to your exam- 
ination of conscience depends very much on the period 
which has elapsed since your confession and on the kind 
of life which you have led. 

Very little time is sufficient for persons of a timorous 



316 PENANCE— VT^ 

conscience who go frequently to confession. Such per- 
sons should be satisfied with the time pointed out for 
them by their directors. 

A much longer time is necessary for those who have 
lived in habits of sin and who confess but seldom. Such 
persons should enter seriously into themselves and be 
diligent in striving to recollect the places where they 
have been, \}i\^ persons with whom they have had inter- 
course, and the employments or pursuits in which they 
have been engaged since their last confession, for such 
recollections will assist very much in bringing to mind 
their transgressions. They should give themselves a 
reasonable time to discover all the different kinds of sin 
which they have committed, Xh^ number of each kind, 
and all those circumstances which ought to be confessed. 
For it is not sufficient to say, as some do : "I have 
cursed, I have stolen, I have told Hes, I have been 
vexed, etc. ; " but you must endeavor by examination to 
enable yourselves to specify both the number of your 
sins and the extent of their guilt. It is to be feared that 
many penitents, through sloth or self-love, make very 
careless and superficial examinations. 

III. When you have finished your examination, see- 
ing then your sins in one view^ endeavor to excite your- 
selves to contrition, earnestly craving pardon of God for 
the sins which you find you have committed and resolv- 
ing firmly that you will never commit them any more. 
[See the means of obtaining co?itrition, Instruc. LIV., 
Sec. III.] 

Remember that to form a firm and efficacious resolu- 
tion of amendment is a very important point and a neces- 
sary part oi true sorrow. Many confessions are bad for 
want of this ] many, very many penitents may attribute 
their relapses after confession to their defective resolu- 
tions of amendment. With regard to your resolution, 
therefore, sound your heart, ask yourselves the question : 

For whom is much time necessary ? Why? After your examina- 
tion of conscience, what should you do? What remember ? 



PENANCE— VIII. 317 

" Am I resolved sificerely, firmly and efficaciously to for- 
sake my sins, to avoid the occasions of them, and to ^xci- 
^\oy the propermeans for these purposes?" 

Beg of God to give you these necessary dispositions. 
Implore this mercy by many supplications and with all 
the ardor of your soul : " Your heavenly Father will 
give the good spirit to them that ask him : . . . Ask and 
you shall receive." (Luke xi. i8, 9.) " Call upon me in 
the day of trouble and I will deliver thee." (Ps. xlix. 15.) 



Instruction LIX. 

PENANCE — VIII. 

Manner of making Confession — Absolution, 

What is the Sacrament of Penance? — Penance is a Sacrament in 
which, by the priesfs absolution^ joined with contrition, confession 
and satisfaction, the sins are forgiven which we tiave committed 
after baptism. 

What is Confession ? — It is to accuse ourselves of all our sins to a 
priest. 

After having made all necessary preparation (as de- 
scribed in the last Instruction), you may the7i go to con- 
fession ; but go with the sentiments and dispositions of 
the humble publican, with a deep sense of your guilt and 
unworthiness. 

I. Manner of making confession. — Having arrived 
at the confessional, kneel down, make the sign of the 
cross and ask the priest's blessing, saying : " Pray, father, 
give me your blessing, for I have sinned." Having re- 
ceived the blessing, say the first part of the '^Confiteor'^ 
as far as " through my most grievous fault." Then say 
how long it is since your last confession, and whether 
you were then absolved or not. After this, confess»all 
the sins you can recollect (beginning with the omissions 

What should you beg of God ? Explain in particular the manner 
of making confession. 



318 PENANCE— VIII. 

of your past confessions and of the obligations then 
pointed out, if there have been any such omissions). 

Confess with great humiUty, with truth, candor and 
simpHcity. Answer sincerely the questions which your 
confessor may find it necessary to ask. Let your dispo- 
sition and endeavor be to lay open the real state of your 
soul. 

When you have declared all that you had to confess, 
you conclude by saying : " For these and all my other 
sins which I cannot at present call to my remembrance, 
I am heartily sorry, purpose amendment for the future, 
and most humbly ask pardon of God and penance and 
absolution of you, my ghostly Father. Therefore I be- 
seech the Blessed Mary, ever a virgin," etc. 

Receive the penance enjoined by your confessor in 
the same penitential disposition as holy Job received the 
afflictions that befell him : "I have sinned and indeed I 
have offended, and I have not received what I have 
deserved." (Job xxxiii. 27.) 

While your confessor is giving you direction, do not 
employ yourselves in examining whether you have for- 
gotten anything, but listen attentively to what he is say- 
ing, strive to remember it and resolve to practice what 
he advises. 

While receiving absolution, renew with great fervor 
your contrition and resolution of amendment. But if it 
be judged expedient to defer absolution, submit humbly 
to the decision. 

II. Absolution. — Absolution is an essential part of 
the Sacrament of Penance. It is the sentence of pardon 
which the priest pronounces in the name and by the 
commission of Christ. For Christ has appointed his 
priests to be judges of consciences, with power to absolve 
or not^ as the case may require : ** Whose %\xi'$> you shall 
forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sinsjv^w shall 
retain they are retained." (John xx. 23.) Wherefore 
the priest says : " /, by His authority, absolve thee from 

What is Absolution ? 



PENANCE—VIII. 319 

thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost." When a priest absolves a penitent, 
he does so as really and as effectually as if Christ himself 
pronounced the absolution ; because he acts in His name 
and by His authority and commission (that is to say, he 
absolves effectually, if the penitent be duly disposed.) 

Can a Priest give or refuse absolution, just as he 
pleases ? 

No; Priests are not the masters^ but "the dis- 
pensers of the mysteries of God." (i Cor. iv. i.) They 
must follow the rules prescribed by the Church, and 
must act, to the best of their judgment, as Christ him- 
self would act, otherwise they will have a very severe 
account to give. [Example : A judge must pronounce 
sentence according to the laws.] Christ has given power 
to absolve, but on certain conditions, viz., that the sin- 
ner confess^ repent., resolve., and be in a disposition to satisfy. 
When the Priest has reason to believe that any one of 
these is wanting, then he must defer absolution ; other- 
wise he would ruin both his own soul and the penitent's 
also. You see, then, how unreasonable it is for any one 
to take it ill when absolution is obliged to be deferred : 
he who does take it ill, shows thereby great ignorance, 
and proves also his want of proper dispositions ; and he 
shows, therefore, that the Priest was right in refusing 
absolution. In such dispositions the absolution would 
be of no service to the penitent ; but, on the contrary, 
it would add to his sins the guilt of sacrilege. 

What kinds of persons must be refused absolution ? 

1. They who will not correct, or take means to cor- 
rect, their bad habits, cannot be absolved. For every 
sinner must resolve to employ the necessary means of 
amendment. 

2. They who will not quit and avoid the immediate 
occasions of sin cannot be absolved. \Explain what is 
meant by occasions of sin ; taking for examples the society 
of drunkards., the impure acquaintance., vicious compa?iions 

Does Absolution operate really and effectually ? 



320 PENANCE— VIII. 

in general^ bad books ^ €tc,\ No one ca7i be a true Peni- 
tent unless he resolve to avoid the immediate occasions 
of sin ; for how can any one be said to be really disposed 
to forsake sin if he will continue to frequent the occa- 
sions that lead to it ? '^ He that loveth the danger shall 
perish in it." (Eccli. iii. 27.) "If thy right eye scan- 
dalize thee (i. e., cause thee to offend God), pluck it out, 
and cast it from thee, .... and if thy right hand scan- 
dalize thee cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is 
expedient that one of thy members should perish, rather 
than that thy whole body go into hell." (Matt. v. 29, 
30.) By these words we are given to understand that 
the occasions of sin, however near or dear they may be 
to us, must be renounced, if we would escape eternal 
condemnation. And hence, the Ritual positively says : 
" Let not the Priest absolve those who will not quit the 
immediate occasions of sin ^ 

3. They who will not be reconciled to their enemies 
are likewise incapable of receiving absolution ; for *' if 
you will not forgive men, neither will your Father for- 
give you your offences." (Matt. vi..i3.) 

4. Neither can they be absolved who will not (when 
able) make restitution or reparation for the injustices 
which they have committed against their neighbor, or 
who will not pay their just debts. 

When a penitent has already promised, in several Con- 
fessions, that he would avoid occasions — would be recon- 
ciled — would make restitution, etc., but has neglected, 
after each Confession, to execute those promises, when 
it was in his power to do so, he cannot expect that such 
promises will be again relied on ; for he himself, as well 
as his Confessor, must have sufficient reason to suspect 
(and more than suspect) their sincerity. Such a peni- 
tent, therefore, must expect to be required to ftdfill his 
promises before he can be considered as being sufficiently 
disposed for receiving absolution. 

What must a penitent who has failed in his promises suspect, and 
what expect ? 



PENANCE— IX. 821 

Instruction LX. 

PENANCE — IX. 

On Satisfaction, 

What are the parts of Penance? — Contrition^ Confession, and 
Satisfaction. 

What is Satisfaction ? — It is doing the Penance given us by 
the Priest. 

The third part of Penance is Satisfaction^ which con- 
sists in repairing the injury done to God by sin. The 
true Penitent must necessarily be disposed to make satis- 
faction to the divine justice, even when the guilt of sin 
is remitted. 

Satisfaction may be distinguished into voluntary and 
sacramental. That satisfaction is called voluntary which 
we impose upon ourselves by our own free will, although 
it be strictly due from us : sacramental is that which is 
enjoined by the Confessor, and which forms a part of 
the Sacrament of Penance. 

This, as to its principle ^ or the disposition required in 
the Penitent, is an essential part of the Sacrament, and 
inseparable from true Contrition (whether perfect or im- 
perfect), whereof it is a necessary consequence. But as 
to its acts, or the actual imposing of it by the Confsssor, 
and its actual performance by the Penitent, it is only an 
integral part of the Sacrament, and it is necessary by a 
divine precept. We cannot receive absolution without 
being disposed to satisfy God's justice, but we can receive 
it, validly and worthily, before we have actually per- 
formed the satisfaction. As to its effects, sacramental 
Penance is more efficacious than that which is voluntary 
in expiating the temporal punishment of sin. 

I. Can we offer to the divine justice an adequate satisfaction ? 

No, not of ourselves; for sin is an outrage against 

Which are the two kinds of Satisfaction ? How is it an essential 
part of the Sacrament? How an integral? Is it efficacious? 
21 



822 PENANCE— IX. 

infinite Majesty, and man can offer no atonement of 
his own which will be equal to such an offence. 

But have we any means of offering an adequate Satisfaction ? 

Yes \ we have the expiatory merits of Christ, 
which God is pleased to accept in our favor ; but then, 
with His satisfaction, we must join our own penitential 
works. By this means we can supply, and more than 
supply, our own insufficiency, because the merits of 
Christ are infinite. 

It is principally in the Sacraments, and in the Sacri- 
fice of the Mass, that his merits are applied to our souls, 
and made over to us as if they were our own. This 
application is a pure grace — a pure bounty — on the part 
of God. But one condition for obtaining this applica- 
tion in the Sacrament of Penance is that we be in a real 
disposition to do penance ourselves. 

II. Does divine justice require us to make satisfaction for sin by 
temporal punishments, even after its guilt and eternal punishment 
have been remitted? 

Yes ; and this may be proved by a number of ex- 
amples recorded in the Scriptures of such satisfaction 
having been exacted by the justice of God. Thus : i^/, 
In punishment of Adam's sin, although pardoned as 
to its guilty God inflicted upon Adam himself severe 
temporal chastisements, and continues still to inflict 
them upon all his posterity. (Gen. iii. 17-24; Rom. 
V. 12.) 2^/v, Moses, for his sin of diffidence, which he 
committed when he struck the rock twice, was punished, 
after his forgiveness, by not being allowed to enter into 
the promised land. (Num. xx. 7-12 ; Deut. xxxii. 48- 
52.) ^d/y, David's sin of vanity in numbering the people 
was punished, after his repentance, by the destruction of 
seventy thousand of his subjects by pestilence, (i Par. 
xxi. 9-14.) 4,thly^ And his sins of adultery and murder 
were likewise severely punished, after the Prophet 
Nathan had declared that their guilt was remitted. (2 
Kings xii. 13, 14.) If this temporal punishment be not 



PENANCE— IX. 323 

discharged here, during life, it will be exacted much 
more rigorously hereafter in purgatory. 

III. Besides satisfying for the temporal punishment of sin, are 
there any other advantages in doing penance ? 

Yes, there are many very great advantages. 

1. It is a preservative against sin, for doing penance 
makes us careful in avoiding sin. 

2. It keeps us humble, by constantly reminding us of 
our guilt. 

3. It cures the infirmities which sins leave in the soul, 
viz., the spiritual weakness, languor of soul, and repug- 
nance to spiritual exercises, which sins produce, and it 
renders the soul more active and strong, more fervent 
and spiritual. 

4. It weakens the force of our evil inclinations or pas- 
sions, and destroys bad habits by contrary practices. 

5. It disarms the anger of God provoked by our sins. 
(Jer. xviii. 8.) [Example of Ac hab : *^ And when Achab 
had heard these words, he put haircloth upon his flesh, 
and fasted, and slept in sackcloth. And the word of 
the Lord came to Elias, saying : Hast thou not seen 
Achab humbled before me ? therefore, because he hath 
humbled himself for my sake, I will not bring the evil 
in his days."] (3 Kings xxi. 27-29.) [Example of the 
Nineviies : By fasting in sackcloth and ashes they saved 
themselves and their city from the threatened destruc- 
tion."] Qonas iii.) 

6. It makes our life more conformable to that of 
Christ. {See Rom. viii. 29.) 

7. It increases our merit, and will add to our future 
glory. 

8. It brings spiritual consolations and confidence, 
especially at the approaches of death : for what a com- 
fort it will then be to have led a penitential life ! 

IV. What is the extent of the temporal punishments which may 
remain due to sin after its guilt and eternal punishment have been 

forgiven. 



824 PENANCE— IX. 

Their extent is much greater than many Penitents 
imagine. The Council of Trent teaches that the satisfac- 
tions, enjoined by Confessors, should bear some propor- 
tion to the crimes and ability of the Penitents : " There- 
fore the Priests of the Lord ought, as far as the spirit 
and prudence shall suggest, to enjoin salutary and suit- 
able satisfactions, according to the quality of the crimes 
and ability of the Penitents, lest if haply they . . . deal too 
indulgently with Penitents, by enjoining certain very 
light works for very grievous crimes, they be made par- 
takers of other men's sins. But let them have in view 
that the satisfaction which they impose be not only for 
the preservation of a new life, . . . but also for the 
avenging and punishing of past sins." (Cone. Trid,, 
Sess. 14, de Poenit, cap. 8.) And the practice of the 
primitive Church, as recorded in the Penitential Canons, 
may serve to give us some idea of the satisfactions 
which, in those days, the Church required as bearing 
some proportion ^^ to the quality of the crimes and ability 
of the Penitents." No more was required of Penitents 
in those first ages than was justly and strictly due, nor 
indeed so much ; and what was due then is due now^ 
because the divine justice is essentially the same at all 
times. 

That you may see what the ancient penances were, I 
will quote some few of the Penitential Canons : 

1. They who had denied the Faith, even though it 
were to save their life, were required to do penance ten 
years. 

2. They who had joined in Pagan worship, two years. 

3. They who had taken a false oath, forty days on 
bread and water, 

4. They who had broken a fast, twenty days on bread 
and water, 

5. They who had cursed their parents, j^r/>/ days. 

6. They who had struck their parents, seven years. 

7. They who had done an injury to their parents^ 
three years. 

Please quote some of the Penitential Canons. 



PENANCE— IX. 325 

Similar penances were inflicted for other mortal sins, 
and in some cases the penance vfdiS for life. 

It may be asked : " Why are less penances enjoined 
now^ seeing that sin requires at all times the same atone- 
ment ? " Because the spirit of fervor is relaxed, the faith 
of Christians is less lively, and the Church has accom- 
modated herself to the weakness of her children, lest, if 
a severer penance were now enjoined, they should be- 
come guilty of mortal sin by neglecting to perform it, 
and so change the temporal punishment into one that 
is eternal. The penance enjoined now is not considered 
as being sufficient to expiate the whole temporal punish- 
ment, hence the Priest says : " And the rest I leave to 
the merits of Christ and your own pious endeavors." 
But even at the present time the Church admonishes 
her pastors to impose penances " as far as the spirit and 
prudence shall suggest, according to the quality of the 
crimes and abiHty of the Penitents, lest they be made 
partakers of other men's sins." (Cone. Trid., Sess. 14, 
de Poenit., cap. 8.) 

V. Must the Penitent accept a just penance ? 

Yes, unless it be incompatible with his state or cir- 
cumstances. 

Must he perform it ? 

Yes, because it is an integral part of the Sacrament 
of Penance and required by divine precept : it would be 
a sin to neglect it wilfully. 

The penance enjoined in Confession should be per- 
formed at the time and in the ma7i?ier prescribed; it 
should be performed with devotion, in a spirit of pen- 
ance, and also in a state of grace or repentance, because 
otherwise it would lose its efficacy as a means of expia- 
tion. 

VI. Is there an obligation to do more penance than that which is 
enjoined in Confession ? 

St. Thomas says : " If the Priest impose a less pen- 
ance than the sins deserve, the Penitent is obliged to do 
How should the penance enjoined be performed ? 



326 PENANCE—IX. 

more ; and if he neglect to do it in this life, he must 
suffer it in Purgatory." (Quodlib. 3, art. i.) The same 
(as has been already observed) is intimated by the Con- 
fessor, when, after enjoining the penance, he immedi- 
ately adds : " And the rest I leave to the merits of Christ, 
and to your own pious endeavors ^ 

What are the ** pious endeavors ^^ whereby that deficiency may be 
supplied ? 

It may be supplied by Prayer, Alms-deeds, and Fast- 
ing. 

1. By Prayer — by many and fervent supplications, 
offered up in the spirit of penance ; by hearing Mass in 
the same spirit ; by frequenting the Sacraments; being 
regular and diligent in meditation, and in the general 
and particular examinations of conscience. 

2. By Alms-deeds — by performing the works of mercy, 
corporal and spiritual, in a spirit of penance. 

3. By Fasting — by observing the fasts and abstinences 
commanded by the Church, and by voluntary mortifica- 
tions and self-denials, i^/, of the body, by privations in 
eating, drinking, sleeping, amusements, and other lawful 
pleasures, and by bearing pains, sickness, etc., in the 
spirit of penance ; and, 2dly, 0/ the passions, by denying 
our own will, and by patiently receiving reprimands, re- 
proaches, contradictions, contempt, humiliations, inju- 
ries, persecutions, etc., and all this in a spirit of penance 
— as deserving it. 

You see from all this with what reason the Archangel 
Raphael said to Tobias : " Prayer is good with fasting 
and alms, more than to lay up treasures of gold." (To- 
bias xii. 8.) 

To animate yourselves to fervor in these penitential 
works — 

First, Consider the divine command to do penance : 
" Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance " (Luke 
iii. 8) ; for " except you do penance, you shall all like- 
wise perish." (Luke xiii. 3-5.) " The kingdom of heaven 
suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away." (Matt. 



PENANCE— IX. 327 

xi. 12.) " They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh 
with its vices and its concupiscences." (Gal. v. 24.) 
" If you live according to the flesh you shall die; but if, 
by the spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you 
shall live." (Rom. viii. 13.) " Be converted, and do 
penance for all your iniquities, and iniquity shall not be 
your ruin." (Ezech. xviii. 30.) 

Secondly^ Consider what your sins have deserved and 
what penance the souls in hell or purgatory would do if 
they could have the opportunity. 

Thirdly^ Consider also what penance the first Christians 
did, as required by the Penitential Canons. 

Fourthly^ Consider, moreover, what Christ has suflfered 
for the expiation of sin. 

Such considerations can hardly fail to animate you to 
fervor in doing penance. 

VII. By these works of penance, joined with an 
amendment of life, you have the surest proof of the sin- 
cerity of your repentance — of your confessions having 
been good; and oh! what joy and confidence will this 
practice of penance give you at the hour of your death ! 

Always bear in mind these words of St. Augustine : 
*^We must either do penance or burn." For "all sin 
must necessarily be punished, either by the man peni- 
tent or by an avenging God: would you that He should 
not punish you, then punish yourselves. 

To animate yourself to fervor in penitential works what should 
you consider ? Of what are these works a sure proof? 



Instruction LXI. 

PENANCE — X. 

Indulgences : Partial and Plenary — the Church can grant 
them — her Intention in granting them — the Dispositions 
and Conditions for gaining them — whence they derive 
their Efficacy, 

What is Satis/action f — It is doing the penance given us by the 
priest. 



328 PENANCE— X. 

What is an Indulgence? — An Indulgence is a releasing of the 
temporal punishment which often remains due to sin after its guilt 
has been remitted. 

In explaining the Catholic doctrine on Satisfaction, in 
the last Instruction, I showed that, besides the guilt and 
eternal punishment of sin, there is a temporal punishment 
due to it; that this temporal punishment (as many Scrip- 
tural examples prove) may and often does remain to be 
expiated after the guilt of the sin has been remitted; 
that as to its extent the debt of punishment thus justly 
due is according to the quality of the crimes committed, 
or has some proportion to their number and enormity ; 
that the penance enjoined in confession is much less 
than what is due, and that if the deficiency be not dis- 
charged here during life, it will be exacted much more 
rigorously hereafter in purgatory. For " we must either 
do penance or burn." 

Is there any means of obtaining a remission of this debt of tem- 
poral punishment ? 

Yes, by the application of the atoning merits ot Christ, 

How can his merits be applied for this purpose ? 

It was shown in the last Instruction that they are ap- 
plied in the Sacrament of Penance ; but that, even then, 
much may still remain for the penitent to expiate by his 
own voluntary works of penance. But there is another 
means, viz., the gaining of indulge?ices^ whereby the 
atoning merits of Christ may be efficaciously applied for 
the discharge even of the whole debt of temporal pun- 
ishment due to our sins. An indulgence does not regard 
the guilt of sin at all, but only the temporal punishment 
due to it 

I. Indulgences may be either partial or plenary. — A 
partial indulgence is one which remits rt5 /(^.^/ only of the 
temporal punishment due to sin — it remits so much of it 
as is specified in the grant of the indulgence, as forty 
days, seven years, etc. K plenary indulgence is an en- 
tire remission of the whole debt. 

How many kinds of indulgences are there ? 



PENANCE—X. 329 

The ancient Penitential Canons subjected sinners to 
long and severe penances ; for some sins the penances 
enjoined were of many years* duration. An indulgence, 
when granted in those days, meant, \i partial, a remis- 
sion of so much of the Canonical Penance, and of the 
temporal punishment corresponding to it, as was speci- 
fied in the indulgence ; and, {{plenary, a remission of 
the whole of the Canonical Penance and of all the cor- 
responding temporal punishment. 

Although the Church does not now impose those 
severe penances, yet the justice of God requires as much 
atonement now as it did then. How few penitents are 
there who, since they first came to the use of reason, 
have not committed sins which, if put together, would 
require many years of penance (according to the ancient 
Canons) to expiate them ? Perhaps they would require 
hundreds, perhaps even many thousands of years. How 
much, therefore, would remain to be atoned for after death 
unless remitted by indulgence. Now, an indulgence of 
forty days, .of one hundred days, of seven years, etc., 
means a remission of so much temporal punishment as 
would be expiated by the due performance of the Canon- 
ical Penance during so many days or years. 

Whereas, a plenary indulgence (as now granted) means 
a remission of the whole debt of temporal punishment 
due to all our sins. 

II. The Church has power to grant indulgences. — Con- 
cerning indulgences, the Church teaches these two things : 
I. That she has received from Christ the power of grant- 
ing them. 2. That the use of them is very salutary to 
Christian people. (Cone. Trid., Sess. 25, de Reform, cap. 
21, deer, de indulgentiis.) 

Proofs, — Christ said to St. Peter : " And I will give to 
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatso- 
ever THOU shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound also 

What did an indulgence mean in the days of Canonical Penance ? 
Does the justice of God require less now ? What does a partial in- 
dulgence — V. g., of forty days — mean? Can you prove that the 
Church has the power to grant indulgences ? 



330 PENANCE— X. 

in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth it 
shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt. xvi. 19.) And on 
another occasion he said to all the Apostles : " Amen I 
say to you, whatsoever j^// shall bind upon earth shall 
be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose 
upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt, xviii. 

Here the power of binding contains the power of re- 
fusing absolution when the case requires a refusal, and 
also of imposing penances (when absolution is given) to 
satisfy the divine justice. The power of /<:?^j//^^ contains 
the power of absolving the really penitent from guilty and 
also from temporal punishment for just reasons. 

Such has always been the doctrine dcnd practice of the 
Church from the time of the Apostles to the present day. 

We read in the New Testament of St. Paul granting an 
indulgence to one of the faithful at Corinth. That Co- 
rinthian had taken his father's wife, and St. Paul exer- 
cised the power of binding by inflicting a penance and 
by excluding him from the assembHes of the faithful till 
he had performed it. (i Cor. v.) The Corinthian sub- 
mitted with sincere and fervent repentance, and the fol- 
lowing year St Paul exercised also the power of loosifig 
by remitting the remainder of the penance, " lest such a 
one (he said) be swallowed up with over much sorrow." 
(2 Cor. ii. 7.) 

We know that it was the practice of the primitive 
Church to impose very long penances. Now, at the 
breaking out of a persecution, she granted indulgences 
to the more fervent of the penitents by abridging the 
duration of their penance and admitting them to the 
Holy Communion, thus exercising, like St. Paul, that 
power of binding and loosing which she has received from 
Christ. The Church, then, has the power of granting 
indulgences. 

And the very nature and object of indulgences (namely, 
to lessen or remove by remission the debt of temporal 

Was this the doctrine and practice of the Church at the time of 
the Apostles ? How did the primitive Church exercise it ? 



PENANCE— X. 331 

punishment) prove sufficiently their inestimable advan- 
tages^ or that the use of them is very salutary to Christian 
people^ 

III. Intention of the Church in granting Indulgences, 

Is it the intention of the Church to dispense, by indulgences, from 
the obligation of doing works of penance ? 

No, "it never was the intention of the Church (says 
Liebermann) to favor the slothful negligence of Christians 
nor to exempt them from all obligation of doing penance 
against that which is said : * bring forth fruits worthy of 
penance,^ Hence, indulgences were anciently granted 
to such only as ^n^x^ fervent in doing works of penance. 
St. Cyprian ( Tract, de Lapsis^ very much blames those 
who, at the recommendations of the martyrs, admitted 
penitents to reconciliation before they had done penance : 
' Vain and false peace (he says), dangerous to the givers 
and no advantage to the receivers.* " 

What, then, is the intention of the Church in granting Indul- 
gences ? 

Her .intention is this: 

1. To assist Penitents of good will to discharge their 
debt of temporal punishment, by supplying from the 
treasury of the Church their inability and insufficiency. 

2. To excite the Faithful to greater piety and love of 
God. And, indeed, for this purpose, certain acts of 
piety and religion are always prescribed and required as 
necessary conditions. 

I V . Conditions for gaining Indulgences. 

What is necessary for gaining an Indulgence, especially a Plenary 
one? 

1. It is necessary to be in the state of Grace — free 
from the guilt of mortal sin ; at least, when the last con- 
dition is fulfilled. For without this disposition it is not 
possible to gain any Indulgence. We cannot obtain 
the full effect of a Plenary Indulgence without being 
free from the guilt of all sin, both mortal and venial, 
and from all affection to any sin. 

2. It is necessary to be in a disposition to satisfy the 



332 PENANCE~X. 

divine justice, at least by performing the Sacramental 
penance, and. the works enjoined in the grant of the 
Indulgence; and by offering to God the satisfactory 
merits of Christ as an equivalent for the remission which 
is granted in the Indulgence. 

But whether it be necessary to be in the actual dispo- 
sition to satisfy the divine justice, as far as we can, by 
our own penitential works ^ is controverted among divines. 
Some assert that this disposition is necessary for gaining 
the effect of an indulgence, while others teach the con- 
trary. With regard to the opinion which asserts that 
the actual disposition to satisfy, by our own penitential 
works, is necessary for gaining Indulgences, Bellarmine 
says that it is salutary and pious, but perhaps not true ; 
especially as it is opposed to the common teaching of 
divines. But, as Liebermann says, ^^ This is certain^ that 
both the pious use of Indulgences, and also continual 
labor in doing works of penance and satisfaction, cannot 
be sufficiently recommended to the Faithful. The busi- 
ness of salvation which we have to accomplish is a most 
arduous and important work. He. who is wise will 
choose the safer way. Now, undoubtedly, the safer 
way is this : to be so intent upon doing works of pen- 
ance as if no remedy were to be obtained from Indul- 
gences ; and to be so earnest in gaining Indulgences as 
if nothing were to be expected from our own works. 
This is the surest way to salvation." 

3, It is necessary to perform all the conditions pre- 
scribed, faithfully and devoutly, and with an intention 
of gaining the Indulgence : for some good works are 
always required as conditions — as some compensation 
or satisfaction to the divine justice for the remission 
granted. (Such as prayers for some public and import- 
ant purpose ; alms-deeds ; visiting the sick, or other 
works of mercy; receiving the Sacraments of Penance 
and Communion, etc.) No Indulgence can be gained 

State the opinion controverted among divines. Is it necessary 
to perform aU the conditions ? Is it necessary to have an intention 
of gaining the Indulgence? 



PENANCE— X. 338 

unless its conditions be duly fulfilled^ with an intention 
of gaining it. But it is not necessary that- this intention 
be actual; for a virtual intention is sufficient, i. e., one 
which has been actual, and which still continues virtu- 
ally to exist. Hence, it would be a salutary, as well as 
pious practice, to form an actual intention every morn- 
ing of gaining all the Indulgences which are attached to 
whatever devotions and good works we shall perform 
during the day : this intention (which may be made by 
way of oblation in our morning prayers) will continue 
virtually and validly to exist during the day, unless re- 
tracted by some contrary act or intention. 

V. Whence do Indulgences derive their efficacy in remitting the 
temporal punishment due to sin ? . 

From the superabundant merits of Christ and his 
saints. The merits of Christ, being infinite, are more 
than were necessary to purchase the Redemption of all 
mankind. Now his superabundant merits, together 
with those of the Saints (the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 
Baptist, etc.), form a precious treasure, which Christ 
has left to his Church, with power to dispense it to the 
Faithful. 

Conclusion. — How this concession commends the 
great goodness and bounty of God ! — how it should in- 
flame our hearts with gratitude and love ! — and should 
stimulate us to fervor in doing penance ! For by living 
in the disposition and practice of penance, we shall be 
able to supply our weakness and insufficiency, because 
such dispositions and practice will enable us to gain the 
Indulgences offered us by the Church ; and thus, out of 
the treasure of the Church applied by Indulgences, we 
may discharge the whole of our debt of temporal punish- 
ment, and so be prepared for entering into heaven imme- 
diately after death. 

What conclusion do you draw ? 



334 EXTREME UNCTION. 

Instruction LXII. 

EXTREME UNCTION. 

Extreme Unction is a true Sacrament — its Effects — its 
Necessity — when, and by whom, it should be received — 
its Ceremonies — the Dispositions required. 

What is Extreme Unction ? — Extreme Unction is the anointing 
of the sick with holy oil, accompanied with prayer for the forgive- 
ness of their sins. 

When is this Sacrament given? — When we are in danger of death 
by sickness. 

What authority is there in Scripture for the Sacrament of Extreme 
Unction i^ — In the fith chapter of St. James it is said: ** Is any 
man sick among you, let him bring in the Priests of the Church ; 
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil, in the name of 
the Lord ; and the prayer of Faith shall save the sick man ; and the 
Lord shall raise him up ; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven 
him." — St, James \. 14, 15. 

Concerning the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, the 
Council of Trent declares it to have been "regarded by 
the Fathers as being the completion, not only of penance, 
but also of the whole Christian life, which ought to be 
a perpetual penance." The Council, moreover, show- 
ing the goodness of our most gracious Redeemer towards 
his servants, declares and teaches that " as, in the other 
Sacraments, He prepared the greatest aids, whereby, 
during life, Christians may preserve themselves whole 
from every more grievous spiritual evil, so did He guard 
the close of life, by the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, 
as with a most firm defence. For though our adversary 
seeks and seizes opportunities, all our life long, to be 
able in any way to devour our souls, yet is there no 
time wherein he strains more vehemently all the powers 
of his craft to ruin us utterly, and to make us fall, if he 
possibly can, even from trust in the mercy of God, 
than when he perceives the end of our life to be at hajid^ 
(Cone. Trid., Sess 14, Doctr. de Extr. Unc.) All this 

How does the Council of Trent view the advantages of Extreme 
Unction, and the importance of being well instructed concern- 
ing it ? 



EXTREME UNCTION. 335 

shows the great advantages of receiving Extreme 
Unction; and also the importance of being well in- 
structed concerning this Sacrament, that you may know 
how to receive it with greater benefit to your soul. 

Whaty then is Extreme Unction ? — Extreme Unction is the 
anointing of the sick with holy oil, accompanied with prayer for the 
forgiveness of their sins. 

I. Extreme Unction is a true Sacrament. — It 
has all that is necessary to constitute a Sacrament. 
For, 

1. There is the ^^ outward Sign^* (or outward part 
performed by the Priest), namely, the anointing with 
holy oil, which is the matter of this Sacrament; and the 
accompanying prayers, which are its/orm, 

2. There is the " inward Grace ^* (or inward part per- 
formed by God), namely, strength against temptations, 
remission of sins, purifying the soul from the remains 
of sin, etc. 

The inward grace of Extreme Unction is signified or 
represented by its outward part, which is therefore called 
a sign. For as oil is often used to soothe and cure wounds, 
and restore bodily strength to parts that have been weak- 
ened, it is therefore very appropriately used to signify 
similar spiritual effects produced in the soul by this last 
anointing, and the words or prayers which accompany 
the anointing, determine it to such a signification, by 
expressing the nature of the grace received. 

3. There is the " Institution of Christ^^ which we find 
intimated by St. Mark (Mark vi. 13), and described and 
promulgated by St. James, when he says : " Is any man 
sick among you, let him bring in the Priests of the 
Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him 
with oil, in the name of the Lord ; and the prayer of 
faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise 
him up ; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven 
him." (James v. 14, 15.) These words clearly show — 

How do you prove Extreme Unction to have all that is necessary 
to constitute a Sacrament* 



336 EXTREME UNCTION. 

Firsts The Divine Institution of the Sacrament of Ex- 
treme Unction : for it is evident that St. James only de- 
scribes and promulgates what Christ had instituted ; 
because the Apostles could not give to outward acts and 
ceremonies the power of producing grace, pardon, or 
any other spiritual effect : only God can do this — He 
alone can give grace, Therefore, when the Apostle de- 
clares and promises these eftects, it is and must be in 
consequence and in virtue of the institution of Christ, 
That it is a divine institution has been the constant doc- 
trine of the Church ; and has been defined, moreover, 
by the Council of Trent. (Sess. 14, de Sacr. Extn Unc, 
can. I.) 

Secondly y The words of St. James show what Extreme 
Unction is : that it is " the anointing of the sick with 
oil, accompanied with prayer for the forgiveness of their 
sins." 

Thirdly^ They show who its ministers are : " Let him 
bring in the Friests of the Church." 

Fourthly^ They point out who its subjects are : ** Is 
any man sick among you ? " 

Fifthly^ They specify its effects and advantages: 
" The prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the 
Lord shall raise him up ; and if he be in sins they shall 
be forgiven him." 

II. Effects of Extrme Unction. — Most precious 
are the effects which this Sacrament produces in the soul 
of the worthy receiver, especially if we consider the criti- 
cal time when those effects are conferred, and how much 
they are then needed. 

I. It strengthens the soul against the temptations of 
the enemy, which are more violent the7i than at other 
times. Our adversary, the devil, is always going about, 
like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us ; but when he 
sees that our death is drawing near, he redoubles his 

What do the words of St. James show — firstly, secondly, thirdly, 
fourthly, fifthly ? Why are the effects of Extreme Unction espe- 
cially precious? W^hat is the first effect of Extreme Unction, and 
why precious ? 



EXTREME UNCTION. 337 

efforts then to ruin us eternally, unless he be restrained 
by God, because he knows that then he either gains or 
loses us forever. " Woe to the earth, because the devil 
has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing 
that he hath but a short time." (Apoc. xii. 12.) "There 
are spirits that are created for vengeance, and in the 
time of destruction they shall pour out their force." 
(Ecch. xxxix. 7,1, 34.) 

Now, under these more violent attacks, how could the 
poor soul stand her ground ? weakened, exhausted, and 
distracted by the pains and languor of expiring nature, 
and dismayed by the violence and continuance of tempta- 
tions, she would fall an easy prey to the enemy, unless 
strengthened and supported by more powerful graces. 
Now, Extreme Unction was instituted to give these more 
powerful graces, and thus the malicious efforts of the 
tempter are counteracted. 

2. It cleanses the soul from the remains of sin, and 
thus is " the completion of penance, and of the whole 
Christian life." After sin, even when remitted by pen- 
ance, there remain in the soul spiritual weaknesses — 
stronger inclinations to evil, or an increased concupi- 
scence — a sluggishness to good — pusillanimous fears, 
etc. Now, so far as these are the effects or remains of 
our sins, they are remedied by Extreme Unction, either 
wholly or in part, according to our disposition. But, 

3. As the remains of sin cannot be destroyed, so long 
as their guilt continues, it follows, as a consequence, that 
this Sacrament removes that guilt, whenever it finds no 
obstacle in the way. 

As to venial sins : it blots them out provided they be 
repented of with attrition ; and it does this as its own 
proper effect. 

As to mortal sins : it also purifies the soul from them^ 
when we cannot receive the Sacrament of Penance, if 
we remove the obstacle to grace by due repentance ; as, 

What violent effects does this Sacrament give grace to counteract ? 
What is the second effect ? In what cases will it produce the third 
effect, i. e., will it remove guilts 

22 



338 EXTREME UNCTION. 

for example, when the sick person, after absolution, falls 
into mortal sin, and then repents of it with real attrition, 
and has the disposition or intention of confessing it, but 
before he can confess it he quite forgets it, or becomes 
insensible ; and the Priest, not knowing that there is any 
need of repeating the absolution, proceeds to administer 
Extreme Unction. In this, and in all similar or equal 
cases. Extreme Unction will restore the person to a 
state of grace, and will produce the other effects for 
which it was instituted, as if it had been received in the 
state of grace. 

But when the sick person is conscious, at the time of 
receiving this Sacrament, of being in mortal sin, he can- 
not, under such circumstances, lawfully receive it with- 
out either obtaining absolution (if he can) with attrition, 
or else making such an act of sorrow for his sins as he 
may prudently judge to be contrition, 

4. Extreme Unction gives calmness of mind, resigna- 
tion to God's will, patience in bearing the last sickness, 
confidence in the divine mercy. 

5. It sometimes restores bodily health ; i. e., it has 
this effect, if God foresees that it is expedient for our 
salvation. 

III. Its Necessity. 

Is it absolutely necessary to receive Extreme Unction in our last 
sickness ? 

No ; but it cannot be wilfully neglected without some 
sin. Some divines say that the sin would be mortal ; 
and St Alphonsus Liguori calls this 2, probable opifiion. 
(Theol. Mor,, lib. 6, tract 5, n. 733.) To deprive one's 
self, through wilful neglect, of such powerful helps, when 
so much needed, would be exposing one's self to the 
danger of yielding to temptations, and of perishing eter- 
nally ; and how can we wilfully expose ourselves to that 
danger without sin ? 

Can a sick person, conscious of being in mortal sin, receive 
Extreme Unction lawfully? What are the fourth and fifth effects? 



EXTREME UNCTION. 339 

IV. When, and by whom, is Extreme Unction to be received ? 

This Sacrament is to be received *^when we are in 
danger of death by sickness ; " and we should not put off 
the reception of it till the last extremity, because we are 
not then able to receive it with so much spiritual profit, 
and also because we run great risk of putting it off till it 
be too late, and so being deprived of it altogether. 

Persons who have lost the use of their senses are capa- 
ble of receiving this Sacrament; and they obtain its 
beneficial effects, if^ at the time of being deprived of their 
senses, they were in requisite dispositions, i. e., if they 
had at least attrition. 

Soldiers engaging in battle, sailors in a storm, culprits 
about to be executed, etc., cannot receive Extreme 
Unction because, although they are in danger of death, 
yet their danger is not by sickness. Children, also, be- 
fore they have come to the use of reason^ idiots and 
insane persons who never had the use of reason, cannot 
receive this Sacrament, because, not having any si7i^ 
nor any remains of sin. and not being liable to any 
temptations to sin, they are incapable of experiencing its 
effects. 

Can we receive Extreme Unction more than once ? 

Yes, as often as a sick person recovers from the danger 
of death and then falls into it again, so often he can re- 
ceive this sacrament. . But he cannot receive it a second 
time while he continues in that same danger wherein he 
was when this sacrament was administered to him. 

V. Its Ceremonies. 

How is Extreme Unction administered ? 

Confession having been made and the Holy Viaticum 
received, the dying Christian is fortified in his last struggle 
with the enemy, and enabled to perfect and complete his 
preparation for death by this last holy anointing. The 
priest sprinkles the bed and the attendants with holy 
water, and then implores the blessings of heaven upon 

Can persons who have lost their senses receive Extreme Unction ? 
Who cannot ? 



340 EXTREME UNCTION. 

that house and upon all who dwell therein. After this 
the sick person (or some one in his name) repeats the 
" Confiteor/' and the priest then prays for him, begging 
in the name of the three divine persons that by the ad- 
ministration of the sacrament the whole power of the 
devil may be extinguished in him. Then follows the 
essential part of the sacrament, namely, the priest anoints, 
in the form of a cross, the different senses of the body, 
i. e., the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, hands and feet, say- 
ing at the same time : " By this holy anointing, and of 
his own most tender mercy, may the Lord forgive thee 
whatever thou hast committed by thy sight ^^ (". . . by thy 
hearing,^' etc., according to the particular sense which he 
is anointing). While the priest is thus anointing the va- 
rious senses, the sick person should unite with him in 
spirit by craving that same pardon for himself. 

The priest concludes by imploring the divine blessings 
for the sick person — the remission of his sins, the assist- 
ance of grace, spiritual consolation, corporal relief, etc. 

VI. The Dispositions required. 

What are the proper dispositions for receiving Extreme Unction ? 

1. We should be in a state of grace ^ because this is a 
sacrament of the livmg. Yet there are circumstances 
wherein it can be received lawfully and with fruit, even 
by a person who is not in the state of grace; for, what 
was said just now with reference to the effects of Ex- 
treme Unction must be said also with reference to the 
dispositions of the receiver ; namely, that if he is in mor- 
tal sin of which he is unconscious, then attrition is a neces- 
sary and sufficient disposition ; but if he is conscious of 
being in mortal sin, then such a repentance as he may 
prudently judge to be contrition (supposing no absolution), 
is a disposition of soul required under such circumstances 
for receiving this sacrament worthily. 

2. We should have sincere repentance for ^// our sins, 
great or small, known or unknown ; because even venial 
sins cannot be remitted without sincere repentance. 

Can Extreme Unction ever be lawfully received by a person not 
in the state of grace ? Which are the second and third dispositions ? 



HOLY ORDER. 341 

3. We should excite ourselves to great confidence in 
the divine mercy and in the merits of Christ, and en- 
deavor to be completely resigned to God*s will. 

After receiving Extreme Unction we should return 
thanks to God for so great a blessing, cast ourselves on 
his mercy and think only on Him and eternity, bearing in 
mind that when we have but a short time to live that 
time is very precious. 

Conclusion. — I have now explained all that is neces- 
sary concerning this sacrament. And how clearly do its 
institution and advantages show, ist, The immense good- 
ness and tender mercy of God toward us, and his sincere 
desire of our salvation ; 2dly, The great happiness of 
being members of that Church in which alone this sacra- 
ment can be received ; 3dly, How careful we should be 
to receive it in due time, while we are able to attend to 
its administration ; and 4thly, How cautious we should 
be during life not to abuse God's graces by delaying re- 
pentance, lest by a just judgment we should be deprived 
of the graces of this sacrament at the time when they are 
so much needed, as there have been many striking 
examples. 



Instruction LXIII. 

HOLY ORDER. 

Priesthood necessary to Religion — Order and Mission neces- 
sary to the Priesthood — Holy Order a true Sacrament — 
The Different Orders — Dispositions for receiving Holy 
Orders — Celibacy, 

What is Holy Order'? — Holy Order is a sacrament by which 
Bishops, Priests and other Ministers of the Church are ordained 
and receive power and grace to perform their sacred duties. 

Priesthood necessary to Religion. — Although the Sacra- 

What should we do after receiving Extreme Unction ? What four 
things do its institution and advantages show ? 



342 HOLY ORDER. 

ment of Holy Order is received comparatively t)y few 
only of the faithful, yet it concerns «//, since it is neces- 
sary for the existence of the Church, for the administra- 
tion of other sacraments, for the celebration of the Holy 
Sacrifice, etc. Were the faithful to be left without pas- 
tors they might, perhaps, persevere for a time; but how 
extremely rare would be the cases of any of them per- 
severing long. What would become of children without 
a parent or guardian ? of the sick without a physician ? 
of a vessel without some one to steer it ? Therefore, 
what a terrible privation it is for any congregation to be 
left without a pastor ! How, then, we should lament the 
scarcity of priests in this country, and implore our Lord 
to " send laborers into his harvest ! " (Luke x. 2) and 
how important and meritorious a duty it must be in the 
faithful to contribute to the support and extension of the 
priesthood ! For the Church, by the help of which they 
are to be saved, cannot subsist without ministers. 

The priesthood, then, is necessary to the Church — 
to the faithful at large. Hence Christ, in founding his 
Church, established in it an order of ministers, whom he 
empowered and commissioned to offer sacrifice, to ad- 
minister the sacraments, to instruct and guide the faith- 
ful, and to govern the Church. The Apostles were 'he 
first to whom he gave order ^ and mission^ Sind grace, for 
the performance of these important functions. And, as 
his Church was to continue to the end of the world, 
he gave them, moreover, the power of communicating 
the same to their successors : ^^As the Father hath sent 
me, I also send you" (John xx. 21); i.e., as the Father 
hath sent me, his first priest, with power to ordain and 
commission others, so I send you also as priests with 
power to do f/ie same ; and your successors, having the 
sanje power as I have given you, can, in like manner, 
send others ; and so on to the end of the world. Ac- 
cordingly, the Apostles did ordain successors, and they 

Can you explain how necessary the priesthood is to the Church 
and the faithful at large ? What did Christ empower and commis- 
sion the order of ministers established by him to do ? 



HOLY ORDER. 343 

instructed them to ofdain others after them ; for the Apos- 
tles ordained Matthias in place of Judas (Acts i. 24-26; 
xiv. 22); St. Paul ordained Timothy and Titus, and 
instructed them to appoint others : " Stir up the grace 
of God which is in thee by the impositio?i of my hands.'' 
(2 Tim. i. 6.) "And the things which thou hast heard 
of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful 
men, who shall be fit to teach others also." (2 Tim. ii. 2.) 
" For this cause I left thee in Crete, . . . that thou shouldst 
ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee." 
(Tit. i. 5.; 

This succession of the priesthood has continued ever 
since to be regularly handed down in the Church, and 
will so continue to the end of time. 

II. Order a7id Mission necessary to the Priesthood. — No 
one could ever lawfully exercise the functions of this min- 
istry unless duly ordained and commissioned by the 
Apostles or their lawful successors, and whoever (know- 
ing that he is not thus duly ordained and commissioned) 
presumes to exercise them, commits a grievous sin and 
incurs the malediction of God : " Neither doth any man 
take this honor to himself but >^^ that is called by God, 
as Aaron was." (Heb. v. 4.) " How shall they preach 
unless they be sent ? " (Rom. x. 15.) Such as are not 
ordained and sent are not true pastors but hirelings ; " 
they are " thieves and robbers, that enter not by the 
door into the sheepfold, but climb up another way " 
(John X. I, 12, 13); they are those false prophets 
against whom our Lord cautions us, saying : " Beware 
of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of 
sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt, 
vii. 15) ; " they are blind, and leaders of the blind; and 
if the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the pit." 
(Matt. XV. 14.) St. Peter foretold that there would be 
such : " There shall be among you lying teachers, who 
shall bring in sects of perdition ; . . . bringing upon them- 
selves swift destruction." (2 Pet. ii. i.) 

Did the Apostles ordain and instruct successors ? Are Order and 

Mission necessary? 



344 HOLY ORDER. 

God has shown the grievousness of this sacrilegious 
crime by most terrible and visible judgments. Exam- 
ples : Ozias, king of Juda, presumed to exercise the 
functions of the priesthood — to offer incense; and the 
High Priest, Azarias, " withstood the king, and said : It 
doth not belong to thee, Ozias, to burn incense to the 
Lord, but to the priests ; that is, the sons of Aaron, who 
are consecrated for this ministry." The king persisted, 
but God instantly struck him with leprosy, **and Ozias was 
a leper unto the day of his death." (2 Par. xxvi. 16-21.) 
But a still more striking and terrible example has been 
given us in the persons of Core, Dathan, and Abiron, 
who, with 250 leading men of the synagogue, assumed 
also the priestly office of offering incense to the Lord. 
For the earth broke asunder beneath the feet of Core, 
Dathan, and Abiron, and, opening her mouth, swal- 
lowed them down alive into hell ; and a fire coming out 
from the Lord, destroyed the 250 men that offered the 
incense : and when, on account of their death, the peo- 
ple murmured against Moses and Aaron, the Lord de- 
stroyed 14,700 more. (Num. xvi.) 

Surely all this is sufficient to prove that no one has a 
right to " take this honor to himself but he that is called 
by God, as Aaron was." (Heb. v. 4.) Therefore, in 
what a lamentable state, since the Reformation, is Eng- 
land, where each successive earthly Sovereign, with the 
Government, assumes the functions of Peter, appointing 
bishops and parsons, who, for want of a divine commis- 
sion, are as so many Cores, leading the people in the 
way of perdition ! Or rather, the temporal power has 
assumed the very office of Christ, having established a 
religion and a priesthood of its own, in opposition to 
His I and it then proceeds to such a degree of religious 
folly, or rather impiety, as to give to any man who ap 
plies for it a written license to be a preacher of any reli- 
gion, thus giving an authorization to any one to commit 

Has God punished the usurpation of priestly duties ? In what state 
is England since the Reformation ? 



HOLY ORDER. 345 

the grievous crime of Core, Dathan, and Abiron, and to 
expose his hearers as well as himself to the like spiritual 
ruin ! 

Of all such it may be literally said : /' * I did not send 
them, yet they ran ; I have not spoken to them, yet they 
prophesied ' (Jer. xxiii. 21); * They have not entered by 
the door into the sheepfold, but have cHmbed up an- 
other way.' " (John x. i.) They only are ^^ sent^' they 
only " enter by the door^^ who have received Order and 
Mission from the Apostles or their lawful successors. 
For the powers of the ministry, with grace for the due 
exercise of its functions, are conferred by the Sacrament 
of Holy Order, which our blessed Lord has instituted 
for that purpose. 

III. Is Holy Order a true Sacramento 

Yes; it has all that is necessary to constitute a Sacra- 
ment. For, 

1. There is the ^'outward Sign^^ (or outward part per- 
formed by the Bishop), viz., the imposition of hands and 
prayer, with the delivery of the instruments of that 
power which is communica:ted. 

2. There is the '^inward Grace'^ (or inward part per- 
formed by God), viz., \\\^ power of the Order received, 
with an indelible character imprinted on the soul ; and 
also actual grace for the due exercise of that Order, to- 
gether with an increase of sanctifying grace. '* But this 
Sacrament does not confer mission, because Ordination 
does not give jurisdiction. 

3. There is the "'Institution of Christ^ St. Paul de- 
clares that this Sacrament confers grace by prayer, with 
the imposition of hands : " Neglect not the grace that is 
in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposi- 
tion of the hands of the priesthood." (i Tim. iv. 14.) 
** I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God 
which is in thee by the imposition of my hands." (2 
Tim. i. 6.) Now, it is evident from these declarations 
of St. Paul, that Holy Order is a divine institution, be- 
cause only God can give to outward acts the power of 

What may be said of Protestant ministers ? 



346 HOLY ORDER. 

producing grace in the soul. When outward things, 
therefore, are made a certain efficacious means of grace, 
it must be in virtue of a divine institution. 

IV. The different Orders of Ministers. — No one can 
lawfully receive any Order until he has first received the 
Tonsure^ which is not an Order, but a preparation or 
disposition for Orders. The first four Orders that are 
received are called J//;/^r C^r^<fr^, which are these: i. 
The Order of Porter or Door-keeper; 2, Lector; 3, 
Exorcist ; 4, Acolyte. The others are called the Greater 
or Holy Orders^ namely: 5, Sub-deacon; 6, Deacon; 
7, Priest; 8, Bishop. Bishops are the highest Order; 
they are properly the Pastors of the Church : " Take 
heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the 
Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops, to rule the Church 
of God.'* (Acts XX. 28.) It belongs, of right, to them 
only to meet in Council and define what is of Faith. Or- 
dination is the actual conferring of these Orders. 

V. Dispositions for receiving Holy Orders, 

What are the dispositions necessary for receiving Holy Orders ? 

1. To be "called by God, as Aaron was." (Heb.*v. 

4.) 

2. To be in the state 01 grace. 

3. To have no canonical impediment. 

4. To lead a good life. 

5. To be single and chaste, with a fixed determination 
to continue so for Hfe. 

VI. Celibacy, — The practice of the Church with re- 
gard to the Celibacy of the Clergy rests on very strong 
grounds. 

I. The Scripture teaches that Celibacy is a more per- 
fect state, and more acceptable before God than that of 
Marriage : 

" I would that all men were as myself .... I say to 
the unmarried, and to the widows : It is good for them 

Must Tonsure be received before Orders ? Mention the minor 
orders ? Name the greater orders ? What dispositions are nec- 
essary ? On what grounds does celibacy rest ? 



HOLY ORDER. 347 

if they so continue, even as I ... . Art thou loosed from 
a wife ? seek not a wife .... I would have you to be 
without soHcitude ] he that is without a wife is soHcitous 
for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may 
please God ] but he that is with a wife is solicitous for 
the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and 
he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the vir-. 
gin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be 
holy both in body and in spirit .... And this I speak 
for your profit^ not to cast a snare upon you, but for that 
which is decent, and which vadiy give you power to attend 
upon the Lord without impediment .... Therefore both 
he that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well, and he 
that giveth her not doth better^ (i Cor. vii. 7, 8, 27, 32, 

33. 34, 35. 3^0 

2. In accordance with this plain testimony of St. 

Paul in favor of a life of Celibacy or Virginity, the Celi- 
bacy of the Clergy has been the practice of the Church 
from the earliest ages. (See Challoner's Catholic Chris- 
tian Instructed, chap. 17.) 

Conclusion. — Thank the mercy and bounty of God 
for this sacred institution, by means of which you re- 
ceive so many and so great spiritual blessings — even all 
the blessings of Religion. For, by means of this divine 
institution, you receive the benefit of the Sacraments 
and Sacrifice, whereby the merits of Redemption are 
efficaciously applied to- your souls; you receive, more- 
over, authoritative instruction in faith and morality, 
counsel in your doubts, consolation in your heaviest 
troubles (those of conscience), support in your greatest 
trials, secure guidance in the way of salvation, and 
(where most felt) comfort, consolation and spiritual as- 
sistances at that fearful time when you are about to 
stand before the Judgment-seat of your God ! 

What should you conclude ? 



348 MATRIMONY— I. 

Instruction LXIV. 

MATRIMONY. 

Matrimony as a Contract — // is a true Sacrament — Indis- 
soluble — Conditions required — Consent of Parents — 
Impediments, 

What is Matrimony'^ — Matrimony is a Sacrament which gives 
grace to those who contract marriage with due dispositions, to enable 
them to bear the difficulties of their state, to love and be faithful to 
one another, and to bring up their children in the fear of God, 

Only one sacrament remains now to be explained, viz., 
Matrimony, In the Instructions on the preceding sacra- 
ments you cannot but have frequently admired the great 
mercy, goodness and bounty of God in having provided 
suitable and efficacious helps for every age and state of 
life and for every condition in his Church. (See In- 
struction XLIV.) 

Married persons stand in need of special graces adapted 
to their state, and our bountiful Redeemer has provided 
them in the Sacrament of Matrimony \ and what those 
graces are I will proceed now to explain, after saying a 
few words on the nature and obligations of marriage. 

I. Marriage as a Contract. — Marriage may be 
considered either as a mere fiatutal contract or as a 
sacramejital contract. 

\. As a fiatural contract it is the union of a man and 
woman till the death of one of them, with the view to 
be a mutual help to each other and to have children who 
may love and serve God. This was instituted by God 
in the beginning : " And the Lord God said : It is not 
good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like 
unto himself. Then the Lord cast a deep sleep upon 
Adam : and when he was fast asleep he took one of his 
ribs and filled up flesh for it. And the Lord God built 
the rib which he took from Adam into a woman and 

What do married persons need? How may marriage be con- 
sidered? Considered as a na lura I contrsiCt, what is marriage? By 
whom instituted? 



MATRIMONY— I. 349 

brought her to Adam. And Adam said : This is now 
bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Wherefore a 
man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his 
wife, and they shall be two in one flesh." (Gen. ii. i8, 
21, 2 2, 23, 24.) Eve was made of a rib of Adam to show: 

1. The close union that exists between man and wife. 

2. The subjection of the wife to her husband. 3. That 
the husband should love his wife as part of himself. 

2. At the establishment of Christianity this natural 
contract was raised to the dignity of being sacramental^ 
and as such we are now to consider it. 

II. Matrimony is a true Sacrament. — " If any one 
saith (says the Council of Trent) that matrimony is not 
truly and properly one of the seven Sacraments of the 

Evangelical Law instituted by Christ our Lord, and 

that it does not confer grace, let him be anathema." 
(Sess. 24, de Matrim., can. i.) 

1. There is the ^'outward sign^* (or outward part of 
this sacrament), viz., the mutual consent of the parties 
expressed, and the actual giving and taking of each other 
(under such conditions as God and his Church require). 

2. There is the '^ inward grace ^^ (or inward part per- 
formed by God), viz., an increase of sanctifying grace, 
but principally sacramental grace ^ to enable the married 
couple to discharge the duties and obligations of their 
state in a proper manner. 

3. There is the ^'-Institution of Christy For our 
Blessed Lord says in the Gospel : *^ He who made man 

from the beginning, made them male and female, 

and they two shah be in one flesh ; therefore now they are 
not two, but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined 
together, let not man put asunder." (i Matt. xix. 4, 5, 6.) 
The Council of Trent, quoting these words, says : " But 
the grace which might perfect that natural love and con- 
firm that indissoluble union and sanctify the married, 
Christ himself, the Instituter and Perfecter of the ven- 

Why was Eve formed of a rib of Adam ? Can you show that 
matrimony is a true sacrament ? 



350 MATRIMONY— I. 

erable Sacraments, merited for us by his passion, as the 
Apostle Paul intimates, saying: 'Husbands, love your 
wives as Christ also loved the Church and delivered him- 
self up for it ^ adding shortly after : ^ This is a great sacra- 
ment^ but I speak in Christ and in the Church,^ " (Sess. 24, 
Doctrina de Sacr. Matrim; Eph. v. 25, 32.) 

III. Indissoluble. — Matrimony was instituted to be 
a perpetual bond — a union not to be dissolved while 
both the parties live. They may, indeed, ioxjust reasons 
live separate; but they are still married persons : "Who- 
soever shall put away his wife and marry another com- 
mitteth adultery against her, and if the wife shall put 
away her husband and be married to another, she com- 
mitteth adultery. . . . What, therefore, God hath joined 
together, let no man put asunder." (Mark x. 11, 12, 9.) 

IV. What CONDITIONS are required to render the celebration of 
a marriage lawful ? 

1. Proclamation oi banns , where the decree for this is 
in force. 

2. To be celebrated before witnesses and by their own 
proper pastor, where the decree for this is received. 

3. To have no canonical impediment. 

4. To be in a state of grace. 

V. Consent of Parents. — The two parties should 
have the consent of their parents. Parents may refuse 
their consent, if they have just reasons, viz. : 

1. If the marriage would be a disgrace to, or disturb 
the peace of the family. 

2. If it would prove highly detrimental to the child. 

3. If it would endanger the loss of rehgion. 

But if the refusal h^ unreasonable, the parent sins; and 
if it be quite evidently so, then the child may marry, 
notwithstanding the parents' refusal of consent. 
VL What are impediments? 

They are cases which are a hindrance to marriage, 
rendering it either null and void, or else unlawful 

Is it indissoluble ? Ought the parties have their parents* consent? 
When would a parent's refusal be just ? When sinful ? 



MATRIMONY— II. 351 

Firsts Those impediments which render it null (i. e., 
no marriage at all,) are these : 

1. A solemn vow of chastity. 

2. Consanguinity to the- fourth degree, inclusively. 

3. Affinity^ by lawful marriage, to the fourth degree ; 
by unlawful cohabitation, to the second degree*; and also 
the affinity which arises from persons being sponsors in 
baptism or confirmation. 

4. Either party being already married to another. 

5. Either one, but only one^ being unbaptized. 

6. Previous adultery, with a promise of marriage in 
case the innocent party should die. 

7. If the consent be not free or be extorted by great 
fear. 

Secondly^ Those impediments which render marriage 
criminal^ though valid^ are these : 

1. K promise of marriage to another person (that prom- 
ise still existing). 

2. A SIMPLE vow of chastity. 

3. Solemnizing the marriage in Advent or Lent. 

I have yet to explain the dispositions and preparation 
necessary for receiving Matrimony worthily, and also the 
duties and obligations of married people which the graces 
of this sacrament enable them to fulfil. And the explana- 
tion of these shall be the subject of the next Instruction. 

Which are the impediments that render marriage null? What im- 
pediments make marriage criminal, though valid ? 



Instruction LXV. 

MATRIMONY — CONCLUDED. 

The Dispositions for receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony — 
Duties and Obligations of Married People. 

What is Matrimony ? — Matrimony is a Sacrament which gives 
grace to those who contract marriage with due dispositions, to enable 
them to bear the diffiulties of their state, to love and be faithful to 
one another, and to bring up their children in the fear of God. 



352 MATRIMONY— II. 

Having explained the institution and nature of the 
Sacrament of Matrimony, and the conditio7is necessary 
for rendering it valid and lawful, I have now to explain 
the dispositions and preparation necessary for receiving it 
worthily, and also the duties and obligations of married 
people. 

I. What, then, are the dispositions and preparation necessary for 
receiving this sacrament worthily ? 

1. You should endeavor, in the first place, to procure 
the favor and direction of Heaven^ by fervent prayer, by 
being attentive to all the duties of a good Christian, and 
by avoiding dangerous interviews, etc. "A good wife is 
a good portion ; she shall be given in the portion of 
them that fear God— to a man for his good deeds." 
(Eccli. xxvi. 8.) Nothing is of greater importance in 
entering into the married state than to obtain the divine 
blessing, and yet nothing is less attended to ! 

2. They who are about to get married should consult 
their Parents and Director^ instead of allowing them- 
selves to be hurried away by passion. " My son, do 
nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when 
thou hast done.'' (Eccli. xxxii. 24.) " Children, hear 
the judgment of your father" (EccU. iii. 2) ; and "seek 
<:ounsel always of a wise man." (Tobias iv. 19.) 

3. They should have a right intention — such as God 
had in the institution of marriage ; viz., to be a mutual 
help to each other; to have children who may serve 
God; and to prevent incontinence. Their intention, 
then, should not be to gratify ambition, or avarice, or 
carnal desires. ."The Angel Raphael said to Tobias: 
Hear me, and I will show thee who they are over whom 
the devil can prevail. For they who in such manner 
receive Matrimony as to shut out God from themselves, 
and from their mind, and to give themselves to their 
lust, as the horse and the mule, . . . over them the devil 
hath power." (Tobias vi. 16, 17.) 

4. They should be careful to choose a proper person. 
This is of very great importance! yet to be of a high 



MATRIMONY— II. 8*53 

family^ rich, beautiful, etc., seem to be made the chief 
considerations, by a great proportion of those who 
marry. These are very well as seco?idary, but should 
not be the chief deter mini?ig YCiO\xvt?>. 

The choice should fall on one of the true Religion, 
and a good Christian : your own peace and happiness — 
your own salvation and that of your children depend 
greatly upon it. Family, riches and beauty are but poor 
helps to happiness, if the temper be bad, the humor ex- 
travagant, or the passions violent. " It is better to dwell 
in a wilderness than with a quarrelsome and passionate 
woman." (Prov. xxi. 19.) " Happy is the husband of 
a good wife, for the number of his years is doubled." 
(^Eecli. xxvi. i.) 

What is the more immediate preparation 7 

1. To get instructed in the nature of this Sacrament, 
and in the conditions and dispositions necessary for 
receiving it; and also in the duties and obligations of 
the married state ; and also to comply with them. 

2. To be sufficiently instructed in Christian doctrine, 
on account of being able to teach the children. 

3. To be in a state of grace; otherwise the marriage 
would be sacrilegious, and would tend to draw the curse 
of God, instead of his blessing, 

4. To receive the Sacrament of Penance (if in a state 
of sin), and to spend some time in preparation and 
prayer. 

II. I will now explain the Duties and Obligations of 
the married state. The duties of married people are 
most serious and important, because their own and their 
children's happiness, both here and hereafter, depend 
very much upon them. For the fulfilling of .these duties 
particular graces are necessary, and Faith teaches that 
this Sacrament gives them. You will understand what 
these graces are, and the value of them, by learning 
those duties which they will enable you to fulfill. 

What, then, are the Duties and Obligations oj the mar- 
ried state ? 

23 



354 MATRIMONY- II. 

1. The husband and wife must have a mutual love 
for each other. The precept of Charity obliges married 
persons most strictly. " Husbands, love your wives as 

Christ also loved the Church Men ought to love 

their wives as their own bodies : he that loveth his wife 
loveth himself r (Eph. v. 25, 28.) Without this there 
will be no peace or happiness. 

2. They must keep their love within proper bounds. 
For they must love God more than they love each other; 
and not act like Adam, who offended God by eating the 
forbidden fruit, rather than displease Eve. 

3. They must give each other good example, and pray 
for their mutual happiness and salvation. " So let your 
light shine before men, that they may see your good 
works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 
(Matt. V. 16.) How much more ought married persons 
to give edification to each other ? St. Paul says ; *' I 
desire that my prayers and supplications be made for 
all men r (i Tim. ii. i.) How much more, then, ought 
husband and wife to pray for one another. 

4. They must preserve inviolably the sanctity of the 
marriage-bed : " (Let) marriage (be; honorable in all, 
and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers 
God will judge." (Heb. xiii. 4.) Adultery is a most 
grievous crime'jhtmg^ ist, The violation of a Sacramental 
contract; 2dly, the breach of a vow made before God 
and the Church ; ^dly, a great injustice to the innocent 
party. If it should be discovered (or suspected, which 
is frequently the case), it then sows the seed of perpetual 
discord. 

5. The husband should exercise his authority in a 
proper manner (with prudence, mildness, charity, etc.), 
as God's law requires. " The husband is head of the 
wife, as Christ is head of the Church." (Eph. v. 23.) 
Therefore, as Christ is solicitous for the good of his 
Church, so the husband, etc. 

6. The wife should behave towards her husband with 
due respect^ obedience and submission. " Let women be 
subject to their husbands, as to the Lord As the 



MATRIMONY— II. 855 

Church is subject to Christ, so let wives be to their hus- 
bands in all things." (Eph. v. 22, 24.) 

If both parties would observe these duties, how hap- 
pily they would live together ! 

But if one of them should act contrary to them, what is the other 
to do ? 

In such cases they seldom act as they should. When, 
for instance, the wife offends, how frequently does the 
husband treat her with harshness ; cursing, threatening, 
or striking her ; and then pleading necessity in excuse for 
his conduct. " She has such a temper (he says) ; she is 
ahvays out of humor, and forever scolding and torment- 
ing, so that I must be harsh," etc. When the husband 
offends; the wife uses reproaches, and will continue for 
hours together uttering all kinds of spiteful expressions. 
All this is the effect of impatience, and makes the matter 
much worse. When they disagree there are generally 
faults on both sides, at least before they have done. 
And when wives complain of harsh and violent treat- 
ment, although the husband may be faulty, yet they may 
generally thank themselves for the ill usage they receive. 
As St Monica used to say to those who went to her with 
their complaints : " Lay the blame (she said) rather on 
yourselves and your tongues." (Butler's ** Lives of the 
Saints," vol. v., May 4. ) 

7. There is another very important duty of married 
people, viz., to bring up their children rehgiously. They 
must instruct their children ; instill into them religious 
feelings ; see to their prayers, confessions and commu- 
nions ; watch over them ; keep them from bad com- 
panions, and from occasions of sin ; set them good ex- 
ample ; pray for them, etc. These duties towards chil- 
dren lay parents under a heavy responsibility ; yet how 
generally are they neglected! 

These are the Duties and Obhgations of the married 

state. They are important and difficult, and cannot be 

fulhlled religiously without particular graces. These 

graces the Sacrament of Matrimony gives to such as 

Is it the duty of parents to bring up their children religiously ? 



356 VIRTUE OF FAITH. 

receive it with proper dispositions. You see, then, how 
important it is to make a good preparation for it ! — you 
see the great advantages of receiving it with proper dis- 
positions ! — and how careful you should be afterwards 
not to lose by sin those special graces which it gives to 
those who receive it worthily. 



EXPLANATION 

OF VIRTUES AND VICES. 



Instruction LXVI. 

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUE OF FAITH. 

The Nature^ Necessity^ and Exercise of the Virtue of 
Faith — the Sins against Faith, 

What is meant by the Theological Viftues? — Virtues that relate 
immediately to God. 

Bow manyy and what are the Theological Virtues^ — Three: 
Faith, Hope and Charity. 

What does Faith help us to do? — It helps us to believe, without 
doubting, all that God has taught and the Church proposes. 

I. Nature of Faith. — Faith is a supernatural and 
Theological Virtue, by which we firmly believe all the 
Truths which God has revealed to his Church, and be- 
lieve them because He who has revealed them is Truth 
itself. It is called a Theological Virtue because it has 
God himself for its immediate object, being a direct 
homage to his eternal Truth — to his divine Veracity, 
which is one of his essential Attributes ; but, moreover, 
because it is not acquired by us, but infused into our 
souls by God : " Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, be- 
cause flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but 
my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. xvi. 17.) 

Explain the nature of Faith. Why is it called a theological virtue ? 



VIRTUE OF FAITH. 357 

What we believe from the evidence of our senses is 
not Faith, but experience ; what we beheve from argu- 
ments drawn from self-evident propositions is reason and 
demofistration ; what we believe from testimony is Faith, 
and it may be either human or divine. It is human faith 
when we beheve anything on the authority of the word 
of man only : it is divine Faith when, on the authority 
of the word of God^ we believe the truths which he has 
revealed, and which he proposes to us as revealed., by 
the teaching of his Church, " which (as St. Paul says) is 
the pillar and ground of the truth.'' (i Tim. iii. 15.) 

But the decisions of the Church, although infallible, 
are not the motive of our Faith, they are only the sure 
means of knowing the truths of Faith. The proper mo- 
tive of Faith is the word of God — the divine Veracity ; 
we believe the truths of revelation precisely because 
God, who is truth itself, has declared them, and we 
know with certainty that he has declared them by the 
infallible teaching of his Church. And the chief merit 
of Faith consists in believing, on the same authority, on 
the divine Veracity, what we do not see., or should not 
otherwise know. For, " Faith is the substance of things 
to be hoped for — the evidence of things that appear 
not." (Heb. xi. i.) 

This divine Faith is the pure gift of God : " For by 
grace you are saved through Faith, and that not of 
yourselves, for it is the gift of God." (Eph. ii. 8.) 

II. Necessity of Faith. — The Virtue of Faith is of 
strict obligation^ and is included in that homage of ador- 
ation which is enjoined in the First Commandment. ' It 
is a most grievous insult to God, and mortally sinful, to 
refuse to believe his word, and hence Christ says : " He 
that believeth not shall be condemned " (Mark xvi. 16); 
and St. Paul likewise assures us, that "without Faith it 
is impossible to please God." (Heb. xi. 6.) 

To satisfy this obligation our Faith must have these 

Is experience faith ? Of how many kinds is faith ? Are the 
decisions of the Church the motive of faith ? What is the chief merit 
of faith? 



358 VIRTUE OF FAITH. 

two qualities; namely, it must htjirm^ without the least 
doubt or misgiving ; and it must be e?itire, comprehend- 
ing all revealed truths, either expHcitly or implicitly. 
Our Faith is explicit when, knowing that such or such a 
truth is revealed by God, we believe it distinctly or in 
particular : but it is implicit when we believe all revealed 
truths in general^ whether we know them or not, as, for 
instance, when we believe all that the Church believes 
and teaches. 

There are some leading Truths which we must know 
and believe with an explicit Faith, because an explicit 
belief of them is absolutely necessary as a means of salva- 
tion (necessaria necessitate ?nedii). Thus, we must know, 
and explicitly believe, that there is a God, the Sovereign 
Lord of all things, and that he rewards those who love 
and serve him ; " Without faith it is impossible to please 
God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, 
and is a rewarder of them that seek him." (Heb. xi. 6.) 
Therefore, when persons have come to the use of reason, 
there is no salvation for them unless they believe ex- 
plicitly in a God whose Providence looks to our conduct, 
and in the existence of a future life, where each one 
will receive rewards or punishments according to his 
works. 

Explicit Faith in the mysteries of the Adorable Trinity 
and of the Incarnation and Passion of Jesus Christ is 
also imperatively necessary for salvation, either because 
such exphcit belief is an essential means of being saved, 
or, at least, because it is a divine precept. 

By divine precept {^necessitate pnuepti) we must also 
know and explicitly believe, at least in substance, the 
Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Commandments 
of God and of the Church, the Sacraments which are 
more especially necessary, as Baptism, Penance, and the 
Holy Eucharist, and the others when we may have oc- 
casion to receive them. 

Is faith necessary? What conditions must it have? What is meant 
by explicit and what by i?}iplicit faith? Which are the leading 
truths in which explicit faith is necessary as a means of salvation ? 
What must we beheve expUcitly by divine precept ? 



VIRTUE OF FAITH. 359 

By Ecclesiastical precept, we are still further obliged 
to know by heart the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, 
the Hail Mary, and how to make the Sign of the Cross. 

Those persons, therefore, are guilty of sin, \st^ who 
are ignorant of any of these through their own wilful 
neglect ; 2dly. who wilfully and without necessity de- 
prive themselves of the means or opportunity of know- 
ing them ; 3^/y, who neither instruct their children them- 
selves nor send them to be instructed on these points ; 
and, \thly^ who, in this respect, hinder or neglect the 
servants or domestics who are under their charge. 

III. Exercise of Faith. — We worship and honor 
God by the virtue of Faith when we make Acts of this 
virtue ; i. e., when we make protestations to God that 
we do actually beheve all the truths which he has re- 
vealed, and proposes to us as revealed, by his Church, 
and that we believe them precisely because He, who is 
Truth itself, has revealed them. This is paying direct 
homage to God, it is an act of homage to his eternal 
Truth, it is the submission of our fallible judgment to his 
infallible word. These Acts serve to enhghten and 
strengthen our Faith, to increase our attachment to Re- 
ligion, and to confirm our resolution of practising what 
it teaches, and they should form a part of our daily 
prayer. 

There are some circumstances in which it is necessary 
that we should exercise our Faith by making an outward 
and open profession of it, as when God's honor, the 
cause of Religion, or our neighbor's salvation requires it. 
(^Example of the Martyrs^ who courageously made open 
profession of their Faith before persecuting tyrants, even 
when they knew it would cost them their life.) It is 
never lawful to deny our Religion, or to be ashamed of 
it before men : " He that shall deny me before men, I 

What, by ecclesiastical precept, must we know by heart ? Men- 
tion the four classes of persons guilty of sin in this matter. Ex- 
plain the exercise of faith ? To what does the acts of faith serve ? 
When must we make an open profession of faith ? 



360 VIRTUE OF FAITH. 

will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven." 
(Matt. X. 7^7,.) 

IV. Sins against the virtue of Faith. — The sins 
which are directly against the theological Virtue of Faith 
are : infidelity, apostasy, heresy, and doubts. 

1. Infidelity comprehends Paganism, Judaism, and 
Mohammedanism. When infidelity is the effect of in- 
voluntary and invincible ignorance, as in those who have 
never heard of the Christian Religion nor had the means 
of knowing it, it will not be imputed to them as a sin 
(Gousset, Theol. Mor., tom. i, n. 339) : " If I had not 
come (says our Blessed Lord) and spoken to them, they 
would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for 
their sin." (John xv. 22.) " For whosoever have sinned 
(says St. Paul) without the law, shall perish without the 
law; and whosoever have sinned in the law, shall be 
judged by the law." (Rom. ii. 12.) But when the infi- 
delity is voluntary, either directly or indirectly; i. e., 
either in itself or in its cause, it is grievously sinful : 
"But mow (after having heard the doctrines of Christy 
they are without excuse for their sin." (John xv. 22.) 
" He that believeth not shall be condemned." (Mark 
xvi. 16.) 

2. Apostasy is the renouncing of Christianity, it is the 
entire abandonment of the Christian Faith, and it is a 
very grievous sin. 

3. Heresy is a pertinacious adherence to such error 
as is directly opposed to some Article of Faith, to some 
truth which the Church proposes to us as having been 
revealed by God; it is refusing to believe what one 
knows to be declared by the Church of Christ as a re- 
vealed truth ; it is preferring one's own opinion to the 
infallible decisions of, the Church. By apostasy the 
whole of Christianity is renounced, but by heresy only 
some of its truths are rejected. Heresy is a grievous 
mortal sin. 

4. Doubts concerning any Article of Faith, when they 

Explain the four sins directly against faith. 



VIRTUE OF HOPE. 361 

are voluntary or wilfully consented to, are also grievously 
sinful. Whenever they arise in the mind they should be 
rejected immediately as suggestions of the devil, without 
our stopping to reason them away ; they should be op- 
posed by Acts of Faith and by Prayer. If they proceed 
from ignorance, it is necessary to get instructed ; if from 
the enemies of our Religion, by giving ear to their irre- 
ligious conversation, or by reading their heretical books, 
then these must be avoided, for thus to expose one's 
Faith knowingly and unnecessarily is a sin. True Faith 
is a most precious gift of God, for which we should daily 
thank him, and we should show our esteem for it by 
using every means to preserve and practice it 



Instruction LXVII. 

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUE OF HOPE. 

The Nature., Necessity^ Grounds., Advantages, and Exer- 
cise of the Virtue of Hope ; the Sins against Hope. 

What is meant by the Ideological Virtues? — Virtues that relate 
immediately to God. 

How many and what are the Theological Virtues? — Three: 
Faith, Hope, and Charity. 

What does Hope help us to do? — It helps us to expect, with confi- 
dence, that God will give us all things necessary for our salvation 
if we do what he requires of us. 

I. Nature of Hope. — Hope is a supernatural and 
Theological Virtue, by which we confidently expect eter- 
nal life and 'the means of arriving at it, resting our con- 
fidence on the goodness, power, and promises of God, 
and on the infinite merits of Jesus Christ; it is a desire 
and expectation of salvation, with a firm confidence of 
obtaining it through God's infinite goodness and his 
promised mercy and assistance. It is called a Theologi- 
cal Virtue because, like Faith, it has God himself for its 
immediate object, being a direct homage to his infinite 

Explain what is meant by hope ? Why is it called a theological 
virtue ? 



362 VIRTUE OF HOPE. 

Goodness, Power, and Fidelity to his promises, and be- 
cause it is a virtue not acquired by us, but infused by 
God into our souls. 

II. Necessity of Hope. — We may say of the virtue 
of hope what St. Paul says of faith, that without it it is 
impossible to please God, for it is absolutely necessary 
as a means of salvation [necessitate medii), and is included 
in that duty of adoration which is required by the first 
commandment. St. Paul says : "We are saved by hope." 
(Rom. viii. 24.) " Do not therefore lose your confidence, 
which hath a great reward'^ (Heb. x. 35.) If we do not 
put our trust in God, but in ourselves, it is a sin ; and, 
moreover, it is great folly ; because of ourselves we could 
not take the least step towards heaven, but should fall 
into the very depth of vice : " We are not sufficient to 
think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves^ but our suffi- 
ciency \s>from Gody (2 Cor. iii. 5.) "Without me you 
can do 7iothi?ig.'' (John xv. 5.) What folly, therefore, it 
is, and what presumption to trust in ourselves ! 
/III. Grounds of Hope. — Hope is grounded on God's 
infinite goodness, power and promises, through the in- 
finite merits of Christ. Notwithstandhig our own weak- 
ness and inability to do good, notwithstanding even the 
number and grievousness of our sins, we have reason to 
place an entire confidence in God, and to trust that we 
shall receive from him all that is necessary both for this 
life and the next; not because we deserve any of his 
favors, but because He is good. Hope has these two 
parts, viz., a complete distrust in ourselves and an entire 
confideiice in God, With these disposition^ there is no 
blessing which we may not obtain : " Because he hath 
hoped in me I will deliver him ; I will protect him be- 
cause he hath known my name : he shall cry to me and 
I will hear him; I will deliver him and I will glorify 
him." (Ps, xc. 14, 15.) 

IV. Advantages of Hope. — Hope brings to the soul 
that possesses it many and very great advantages : 

Prove the necessity of hope? What are the grounds of hope? 
Which are its two parts ? 



VIRTUE OF HOPE. 363 

1. It gives us great courage and resolution in the 
service of God ; " If God be for us, who is against us ? . . . 
Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ ? 
Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or danger, or 
persecution, or the sword ? . . . I am sure that neither 

death nor life, nor powers, nor things present, nor 

things to come, nor any other creature shall be able 

to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ 
Jesus our Lord." (Rom. viii. 31, 35, 38, 39.) "For though 
I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will 
fear no evils, for thon [O God] art with me." (Ps. xxii. 4.) 

2. It enables us to triumph with ease and certainty 
over temptations. " He that dwelleth in the aid of the 
Most High shall abide tmder the protection of the God 
of Jacob. . . . Because he hath hoped in me I will deliver 
him ; I will protect him, because he hath known my 
name." (Ps. xc. i, 14.) " If armies in camp should stand 
together against me, my heart shall not fear ; if a battle 
should rise up against me, in this will I be confident. 
The Lord is the protector of my hfe ; of whom shall I 
be afraid ? " (Ps. xxvi. 3, i.) 

3. It renders the greatest difficulties in God's service 
easy and even agreeable to us. The practice of virtue 
is frequently represented as being difficult ; it is so to 
those who are without hope ; but when we possess this 
virtue the difficulty vanishes, and hence our Blessed 
Redeemer says : " Take up my yoke upon you, . . . and 
you shall find rest to your souls ; for my yoke is sweet 
and my burden light." (Matt. xi. 29, 30.) 

4. It sweetens all the pains and troubles of this life by 
the certain prospect of future rewards : " The sufferings 
of this present time, which are momentary and light, 
work for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight 
of glory." (2 Cor. iv. 17.) " Blessed are ye when men 
shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is 
evil against you, untruly for my sake; be glad and re- 
joice, for your reward is very great in heaven." (^Matt. v. 
II, 12.) 

What are advantages of hope ? 



364 VIRTUE OF HOPE. 

V. Exercises of Hope. — We worship and honor God 
by the practice of hope when we make acts of this virtue ; 
i. e., when from our heart we make protestations to God 
that we place an entire and perfect confidence in him — 
that, relying on his goodness, power and promises, we 
confidently hope for mercy, grace and salvation from 
him through the merits of Christ, accompanying these 
protestations with the determination or disposition of 
doing, on our part, what God requires from us. This is 
paying direct homage to his infinite goodness and mercy, 
to his divine power, and to his fidelity to his promises, 
especially when we make these acts under difficult and 
trying circumstances; like Abraham, "who (as St. Paul 
says), against hope, believed in hope ; that he might be 
made the father of many nations, according to that which 
was said to him : '''As the number of stars, so shall thy 
seed beT ( Rom. iv. i8 ; Gen. xv. 5.) "Although he should 
kill me, I will trust in him." (Job xiii. 15.) These a^/5 
of hope, when they come from the heart, are very pleas- 
ing to God, and should form a part of our daily prayer ; 
but they should be made with a real disposition to do, 
on our part, what God requires of us — to do what we 
can ourselves, confidently trusting that God will supply 
our insufficiency. Without this our hope would be vain 
and presumptuous. 

Exercise of Hope in temporal things. 

May we exercise hope in temporal things by praying for them 
with the hope of obtaining them ? 

We not only may, but ought ; because God directs us 
do so, and promises that he will grant these things as far 
as will be conducive to our real good : " When you pray 
say: . . . Give us this day our daily bread." (Luke xi. 3.) 
" Be not solicitous, saying ; What shall we eat, or what 
shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed ? For 
your Father knoweth that you have need of all these 
things. Seek ye, therefore, yfr^"/ the kingdom of God and 

Explain the exercise of hope. To what, divine perfections does 
the exercise of hope pay direct homage ? 



VIRTUE OF HOPE. 365 

his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you." 
(Matt. vi. 31, 32, 'TiZ') 

As to the necessaries of life and the assistances we need 
for obtaining them, it is our duty to trust in God, with 
an entire resignation to his will, persuaded that he will 
bless our lawful endeavors by sending us what he knows 
to be the best for us. We should be thoroughly con- 
vinced of these two truths, viz. : 

1. Nothing that we undertake can succeed without 
God's blessing or against his will : For " unless the Lord 
build the house, they labor in vain that build it ; unless 
the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth 
it." (Ps, cxxvi. I.) In all things, therefore, we should 
have recourse to God, and should employ, on our part, 
such means only as are lawful ; but we should never use 
sinful means ; for if we do we cannot expect a blessing 
from God, but the contrary. 

2. No malice of men nor of devils can hurt those who 
serve God unless he permit it, and then only so far as he 
shall permit. Therefore, when we meet with difficulties 
or unjust opposition, we should never lose courage nor 
our confidence in God : ^^ In God I have put my trust, I 
will not fear what flesh can do against me. ... In God 
have I hoped ; I will not fear what man can do to me." 
(Ps. Iv. 5, II.) '' If armies in camp should stand together 
against me, my heart shall not fear." (Ps. xxvi. 3.) For 
*^ if God be for us, who is against us ? " (Rom. viii. 31.) 
Do nothing sinful to escape difficulties or dangers, but 
trust in God; look upon all trials as coming from his 
hand, and be resigned to his will in all things, *' casting 
all your care upon him," and then you need not fear what 
all the world can do against you. 

VI. Sins against Hope. — The sins which are directly 
opposed to the virtue of hope are despair and presump- 
tion. 

I . Despair is a distrust of arriving at eternal happiness, 
or of obtaining the helps which are necessary for that pur- 

Of what two truths should we be thoroughly convinced ? Which 
are the two sins against hope ? What is despair ? 



366 VIRTUE OF HOPE. 

pose. It is a most pernicious and fatal crime, because 
it puts a stop to our endeavors and opens the door to 
every kind of vice. 

Those persons are guilty of it who give up all hopes — 
I, Of salvation, on account of its difficulties; 2, Of par- 
don, on account of the number or grievousness of their 
sins; 3, Of amendment, on account of the violence of 
their evil inclinations, the force of their bad habits or 
the experience which they have had of their weakness; 
4, Of obtaining what they ask for in prayer, because it is 
deferred; 5, Of receiving reUef or support in distress or 
sickness, and so wish for death. 

Remedies. — Prayer ; Acts of Hope ; reflecting on the 
power, goodness, mercy and promises of God, and on 
the merits of Christ. 

2. Presumption is a vain expectation of salvation, and 
of the necessary helps, without performing the condi- 
tions required. It is in its own nature a grievous crime, 
because it makes the divine goodness an encouragement 
to sin ! 

Those persons are guilty of Presumption, i, who con- 
tinue in sin with the intention of repenting before death ; 
deferring their repentance because God is merciful ; 2, 
who trust their salvation, their repentance or amend- 
ment to their own strength and endeavors ; 3, who ex- 
pose themselves, without necessity, to the immediate 
occasions of sin, depending on their own resolutions ; 4, 
who, in temporal affairs, trust to their own power, pru- 
dence or endeavors, independently of God. 

Remedies. — Prayer ; Acts of Humility ; reflecting on 
the danger of living in sin. 

God is infinitely merciful ; therefore, do not despair : 
but he is also infinitely /W/y therefore, do not presume. 

Who are guilty of despair ? What are the remedies against it ? 
What is presumption ? Who are guilty of it ? What are the reme- 
dies ? 



CHARITY: ITS FIRST BRANCH. 367 

Instruction LXVIII. 

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUE OF CHARITY : ITS FIRST BRANCH. 

The Love of God— its Nature — its Necessity — Grounds of 
its Obligation — its Exercise — its Effects — Means of ob- 
taining a?id increasing it. 

How many and what are the Theological Virtues /'—Three : Faith, 
Hope and Charity. 

What does Charity Help us to do ? — It helps us to love God above 
all things, and our neighbor as ourselves. 

What are the two precepts of Charity? — I. Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, with all 
thy strength, and with all thy mind ; 2. And thy neighbor as thy- 
self. 

I. Nature of the Love of God. — Charity is a 
supernatural and Theological Virtue, by which we love 
God above all things, for his own sake; and our neigh- 
bor as ourselves, for God's sake. " By one and the 
same Charity (says St. Augustine ) we love God and our 
neighbor: God, indeed, for his own sake: but ourselves 
and our neigbor for God's sake." This Charity is the 
love of benevolence and of friendship, whereby we wish 
all good to God, on account of the infinite perfection of 
his Divine Nature, It is called a Theological Virtue, 
because, like Faith and Hope, it has God himself for 
its immediate object, being a direct homage to all his 
divine perfections, by which he is infinitely good in him- 
self, and infinitely deserving of our love; and also be- 
cause it is a Virtue, not acquired, but infused by God 
into our souls : " For Charity is of God." (i John iv. 7.) 
" The Charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by 
the Holy Ghost, who is given to us." (Rom. v. 5.) 

xAll love of God is not the love of Charity ; for the 
love of God may be either of that kind which is called 
perfect^ or of that which is called imperfect ; and the es- 
sential difference consists in the motive from which our 
love proceeds. Perfect love is the love of Charity^ by 

Explain the nature ot Charity. Why is it called a Theological 
Virtue ? Is all love of God Charity ? 



368 CHARITY: ITS FIRST BRANCH. 

which we love God for his own sake ; imperfect love is 
the love of Hope, or of Gratitude, by which we do in- 
deed love God, but on account of our own advantage, 
rather than purely for his sake. 

Our love of God is of that kind which is perfect, that 
is to say, it has the nature of perfect Charity : 

1. When, in loving God, we habitually fix our whole 
heart in him, in such a manner that, for his sake, we will 
not allow ourselves any thought or wish which is con- 
trary to his divine love. This perfection (says St. 
Thomas) is common to all who possess the Virtue of 
Charity, (S. Thom., Sum. p. 2, 2; q. 24, a. 8.) 

2. When we desire to possess God, if we tend towards 
that possession rather for his glory, than for our own 
advantage. Thus, St. Paul made an act of perfect 
Charity, when he expressed his " desire to be dissolved 
and to be with Christ." (Phil. i. 23.) "Charity (says 
St. Alphonsus Liguori), tends to God as our last end; 
and therefore the desire of possessing God, who is our 
last end, is a proper act of Charity, and indeed more 
perfect than others, for the possession of God is the con- 
summation of Charity." 

3. When we love God on account of his divine good- 
ness (which is one of his principal perfections), even 
inasmuch as it is advantageous to us, by assisting us to 
accomplish his will and to obtain our last end; for this 
is to love God for his own sake. 

But if we love God merely as the means of arriving 
at eternal life, or of avoiding eternal misery, our love is 
not that of Charity^ but of Hope ; neither is it the love 
of Charity, if we love God on account of the benefits 
which he confers upon us, for this is the love of Grati- 
tude. But, if we regard the favors and gifts of God as 
the efiects of his Goodness, and love them for the sake 
of God — for the sake of his Goodness, rather than for 
ou^ own sake — then our love is an act of Charity ; for, 
in this case, it is not so much the favors or gifts them- 

When has our love of God the nature of perfect Charity ? 



CHARITY : ITS FIRST BRANCH. 869 

selves that we love as the divine Goodness, the source 
of all good and of every gift. 

4. When we are in such disposition of soul that we 
can truly say from our heart: ^^ O my God ! I love thee 
above ull things^ because thou art infinite Goodness^^ or 
*''• because thou art infinitely GoodT 

Charity is the most excellent of the Theological Vir- 
tues : "And now there remain Faith, Hope and Charity, 

these three ; but the greater of these is Charity 

Charity never falleth away." (i Cor. xiii. 13, 8.) 

II. Necessity of the Love of God. — The virtue 
of Charity is absolutely necessary as an essential means 
of salvation {necessitate medii)\ it is included in that 
homage which is enjoined in the First Commandment; 
and it is declared by our Blessed Redeemer to be " the 
greatest and the first Commandment," on which " de- 
pendeth the whole law and the prophets." (Matt. xxii. 
38, 40.) It is that "wedding garment," without which 
it will be said to us, when we appear before God to be 
judged : " Bind his hands and his feet, and cast him 
into the exterior darkness ; there shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeth." (Matt. xxii. 12, 13.) The Virtue 
of Charity is so necessary, that St. Paul says of it : " If 
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and 
have not Charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a 
tinkling cymbal . . . And if I should have all faith, so 
that I could remove mountains', and have not Charity, 
I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods 
to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be 
burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing." 
(i Cor. xiii. 1-3.) 

III. Grounds of the Obligation of Loving God. 
— ^Our obligation to love God is grounded on many and 
strong reasons, drawn from the excellency of his divine 
nature. We are bound to love God: 

I. Because he is infinitely good in himself-^mfLmtQ in 

Is Charity an excellent virtue? Is it necessary for salvation? 
Tell us the grounds of this obHgation of toving- God? 

24 



370 CHARITY: ITS FIRST BRANCH. 

all perfections. Other virtues have some particular attri- 
bute for their object, but this has all. 

2. Because he is infinitely good also to us, both as to 
this world and the next. 

3. Because he is our last end — to love him is the very- 
end of our being: our happiness or misery depends 
upon it. 

4. Because he (the Lord our God) commands us to 
love him: " Hear, O Israel! Thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, 
and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.'* 
(Mark xii. 29, 30 ; Deut. vi. 4, 5.) Thus it is commanded 
in the strongest terms : for allonx powers, and the whole 
of each must be employed in loving God. 

IV. Exercise of the Love of God. — ^The precept 
of Charity requires us to *' love God with our whole 
heart, and soul, and mind, and strength." 

1. To love God with our whole heart, we must actu- 
ally give Him the preference in our affections — they must 
all centre in Him : we must be really and truly disposed 
to part with all things rather than lose Him by sin : 
" Every one of you that doth not renounce all that he 
possesseth (i. e., when the love of God requires him to 
make such a sacrifice), he cannot be my disciple." 
(Luke xiv. ^yZ-) " ^^ ^^"^ loveth father or mother 
more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth 
son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.'* 
(Matt. X. 37.) "Son, give me thy heart." (Prov. xxiii. 
26.) This preference which we give to God, is loving 
him with our whole heart. 

2. To love God with our whole soul, we must refer all 
that we do to God's honor and glory, performing every- 
thing with a view to please him : this should be our 
constant aim and intention. " Whether you eat or drink, 
or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.'* 
(i Cor. x. 31.) Our will must be so fixed in God as to 
make us habitually determined to suffer, endure or sacri- 

What is meant by loving God with our whole heart t What is 
meant by loving God with our whole soul? 



CHARITY: ITS FIRST BRANCH. 371 

fice anything rather than offend God by sin. {Example 
of the Martyrs.) Like the Apostle, we should be able 
to say : "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? 
Shall tribulation ? or distress ? or famine ? or danger ? 
or persecution ? or the sword ? .... I am sure that 
neither death, nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, 
nor things present, nor things to come, .... nor any 
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love 
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. vii. 
35, 2>^^ 39.) This devotedness and determination of our 
will is loving God with our whole soul. 

3. To love God with our whole mind^ we must give 
him our thoughts ; we must frequently think of Almighty 
God ; meditate on his divine Attributes or Perfections ; 
on his infinite Goodness; on his Mercy, Bounty and 
Love towards us ; on the necessity of loving and serving 
him, and on the means of doing so. This is loving him 
with our whole mind. 

4. To love God with our whole strength we must strive ^ 
on all occasions, to act in accordance with his law, and 
to do his will ; we must labor for God \ we must do what 
we can to promote his greater honor and glory. This is 
a natural consequence of the three former duties ; for a 
sincere aftection of the heart, an entire devotedness of 
the will and the mind, naturally excite efficacious en- 
deavors to please God in all our actions : " If you love 
me, keep my commandments.." (John xiv. 15. Vide 
S. Thomae Sum., 2, 2, q. 24, a. 9.) This is loving God 
with all our strength. 

We worship and honor God by the exercise of this 
greatest of Virtues when we make Acts of Charity, i. e. , 
when we declare to God sincerely and truly that we do 
actually love him with our whole heart, above all things, 
on account of his infinite Goodness or Perfections ; and 
if these declarations are joined with actual repentance 
of sin, they become also Acts of Contrition. When 

What is meant by loving God with our whoh mind? What is 
meant by loving God with our whole strength ? When do we exer- 
cise this virtue of Charity ? 



372 CHARITY: ITS FIRST BRANCH. 

these Acts of Charity and Contrition are made from the 
heart they are most pleasing to God, and should form 
part of our daily prayer. 

y. Effects of the Love of God. — This divine Vir- 
tue produces the most happy effects in the souls of those 
who possess it. 

1. An ardent 5<f^/ for God's honor and glory; for if 
we love him above all things, we shall be zealous and 
active in promoting his greater honor and glory. 

2. A true sorrow for our sins. It will put the soul in 
those dispositions of repentance in which David was, 
when he said: ^'I know mine iniquity, and my sin is 

always before me Lord, I am ready for scourges, 

and my sorrow is continually before me I did eat 

ashes like bread, and mingle my drink with weeping." 
(Ps. 1. 5; XXX vii. i8; ci. lo.) [Example of Peter, w^h^w 
" going out, he wept bitterly.'* (Luke xxii. 62.) 

3. Esteem for God's graces, and for all his favors, and 
thankfulness for them. Nothing is considered little that 
comes from those whom we really love. 

4. Respect and veneration for whatever relates to God 
or to his service; for love naturally extends itself to 
everything relating to the object of our love. 

VI. Means of obtaining and increasing the Love 
OF God. 

How may we obtain this divine Virtue, and increase it in the 
soul ? 

1. By Prayer: "Your heavenly Father will give the 
good spirit to them that ask him." (Luke xi. 13.) "Ask, 
and you shall receive." (John xvi. 24.) 

By mortifying and destroying our self-love ; for there- 
by we remove our greatest obstacle to the love of God : 
" No man can serve two masters — you cannot serve God 
and mammon." (Matt. vi. 24.) 

2. By frequent meditation on the divine Perfections, 
and on the great love of God towards us. 

By a diligent performance of those duties which the 
love of God requires from us. 

What are the effects of the love of God ? 



CHARITY: ITS SECOND BRANCH. 373 

By frequent and fervent acts of the Love of God, 
and of Contrition for the sins whereby we have offended 
him. 

3. By rendering every thought, word and deed an act 
of thie Love of God, which is done by referring them all 
to his glory in order to please him. 

And by that close union with God here, which pro- 
ceeds from an habitual ardent desire of being inseparably 
united with him hereafter in eternal glory. 



Instruction LXIX. 

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUE OF CHARITY: ITS SECOND BRANCH^ 

We must Love our Neighbor — how we must Love him — 
We must LuOve eve7i our enemies. 

What does Charity help us to do ? — It helps us to love God above 
all things, and our neighbor as ourselves. 

What a7e the two precepts of Charity ^ — I. Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, with all 
thy strength, and with all thy mind ; 2. And thy neighbor as thy- 
self. 

The Theological Virtue of Charity has two branches : 
it helps us to love God above all things, for his ow^n 
sake, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, for God's- 
sake. " There are two precepts (says St. Augustine), but 
only one charity, .... because the charity by which 
we love our neighbor is no other than that by which we 
love God." (Serm. 265.) 

The love of our neighbor, or fraternal charity, is a 
Virtue by which we love all persons without exception, 
for God's sake, with a desire to procure their best inter- 
ests, because such is the will of God. 

I. Why must we Love our Neighbor ? 

We must love our neighbor: 

Which are the two branches of Charity? What is Fraternal 
Charity ? 



874 CHARITY: ITS SECOND BRANCH. 

1. Because the relation which he bears to God requires 
us to do so. For we are all children of God^ both by 
creation and by adoption; we are all brothers of Jesus 
Christ, members of his mystical body, and co-heirs with 
him in eternal glory. 

2. Because God commands us : " Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself." (Matt. xxii. 39.) " This is my 
commandment, that you love one another as I have loved 
you." (John xv. 12.) 

3. Because, in loving our neighbor we love Jesus 
Christ, who assures us that what we do towards one 
another he considers as done to himself, and who de- 
clares that fraternal charity is the characteristic mark of 
his disciples — the very spirit of Christianity : " By this 
shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have 
love for one another." (John xxiii. 35.) 

4. Because the love of our neighbor is a most power- 
ful and necessary means of obtaining mercy and bless- 
ings from God: *^Above all things, have a constant, 
mutual charity among yourselves, for charity covereth a 
multitude of sins." (i Pet. iv. 8.) "The love of our 
neighbor worketh no evil ; love, therefore, is the fulfill- 
ment of the law." (Rom. xiii. 10.) " We know that we 
have passed from death to life, because we love the 
brethren: he that loveth not abideth in death." (i John 
iii. 14.) 

II. How MUST WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR? 

The Scripture lays down for us two rules whereby we 
are to regulate our love for our neighbor, viz., as we 
love ourselves^ and as Christ has loved us. 

I. After having declared the love of God to be " the 
greatest and the first commandment," our Blessed Lord 
says : " And the second is like to this : Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments 
dependeth the whole law and the prophets." (Matt. xxii. 
37-40.) Our love of our neighbor should have the same 

How can we love our neighbor as ourselves * 



CHARITY: ITS SECOND BRANCH. 375 

characters or qualities as our love of ourselves; i. e., we 
should love him from a sincere desire to promote his 
real happiness, both in this life and the next ; but chiefly 
i7i the next. Our love of one another should be such as 
is expressed in these two passages of Holy Scripture : 
I. "See thou never do to another what thou wouldst 
hate to have done to thee by another." (Tobias iv. i6.) 
Therefore do no evil to any one. 2. "All things whatso- 
ever you would that men should do to you, do you also 
to them." (Matt. vii. 12.) Therefore do good to all men. 

2. Our Blessed Lord says: "This is my command- 
ment, that you love one another as I have loved you'' 
(John XV. 12.) Now, how has Christ loved us? He 
has loved us, ist, with 2l gratuitous love: "When as yet 
we were sinners Christ died for us" (Rom. v. 8, 9); 2d, 
with a unive?^sal love : " He will have all men to be 
saved," and so " gave^himself a redemption for air' 
(I Tim. ii. 4, 6) ; 3d, With a constant love : " Many 
waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods 
drown it." (Cant. viii. 7.) " Having loved his own who 
were in the world, he loved them unto the end." (John 
xiii. I.) Such was the love of Christ; such, therefore, 
must be our love of one another. 

We should love our neighbor in his adversity as well 
as in his prosperity : " Bear ye one another's burdens, 
and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal. vi. 2.) 
We should love him when he injures or ill-treats us as 
well as when he is kind to us : " Do good to them that 
hate you." (Matt. v. 44.) 

III. Must we, then, love our enemies ? 

Yes, we must love all persons without exception for 
God's sake. 

How must we love our enemies ? 

I. We must lay aside all thoughts of revenge. 2. We 
must forgive them from our hearts. 3. We must return 
them good for evil. All this our Blessed Lord teaches 
us both by word and example : " Love your enemies (he 

How did Christ love us and how, consequently, should we love 
our neighbor? 



376 CHARITY: ITS SECOND BRANCH. 

says) ; do good to them that hate you ; bless them that 
curse you ; pray for them that persecute and calumniate 
you." (Matt. v. 44; Luke vi. 27, 28, 29.) Thus." although 
the Jews sought to kill him (John v. 18), he did good to 
them (Matt. iv. 23, 24); to his enemy, Malchus, he re- 
stored the ear which Peter had cut off (Luke xxii. 50, 51) ; 
he forgave and prayed for his very executioners, even 
at the very time when they were engaged in putting him 
to death. (Luke xxiii. 34.) 

Our Blessed Lord and Model shows us the necessity 
of imitating his example in this respect (i. e. of forgiving 
and loving our enemies) by making the fulfilment of this 
duty a condition for our obtaining pardon from our 
offended God : " If you forgive men their offenses, your 
heavenly Father will forgive you also your offenses." 
(Matt. vi. 14.) Hence, he teaches us to crave pardon 
from God on this condition :' " Forgive us our trespasses 
AS WE forgive them that trespass against us. 

You see, then, how you must forgive and love your 
enemies. You see also that this duty is of strict obliga- 
tion. 

The duty of forgiving and loving our enemies is gen- 
erally complained of as being a most difficult duty, and 
very many Christians tail to comply with it. But the 
difficulty arises from two common delusions under which 
mankind generally labor. 

1. Blinded by self-love, we have a great attachment to 
earthly goods and earthly enjoyments; in a great measure 
we place our happiness in these things. Consequently, 
when prevented from obtaining them, or when deprived 
of them, we conceive an aversion against those persons 
who are the cause of this. Now, if you will lay aside this 
undue attachment to earthly things and place your happi- 
ness in God alone, you will then find less difficulty in com- 
plying with the precept of forgiving and loving your 
enemies. 

2. The other delusion is, that we look upon our neigh- 
How does our Lord show us the necessity of loving our enemies ? 

What are the two delusions opposed to this duty ? 



THE CARDINAL VIRTUES. 377 

bor, when he injures or offends us, as the real cause of 
what we suffer from him. We should correct this false 
notion by con sideling what faith teaches us on the sub- 
ject, viz., that all crosses, etc., come to us from the hand 
of God, and that our neighbor or enemy is only a mere 
instrument. Then we shall find less difficulty in receiving 
injuries patiently and in forgiving and loving those per- 
sons who are the immediate authors of them. Reflect, 
therefore, that all such trials are really ordained and sent 
by God for our greater good — that " good things and evil, 
life and death, poverty and riches, are from God." (Eccli. 
xi. 14.) Our Blessed Lord teaches us by his example to 
act upon this reflection : " Put up thy sword into the 
scabbard; the chalice which my Father hath given me 
shall I not drink it ? " (John xviii. 11.) Observe, he does 
not attribute his sufferings to the malice of the Jews, nor 
does he express any resentment against them as his ejte- 
mies ; but he considers them only as executing the ap- 
pointments of heaven in his regard. Let us imitate him 
in this, and then the difficulty of forgiving and loving 
our enemies will vanish. 



Instruction LXX. 
The Four Cardinal Virtues, 

How many are the Cardinal Virtues ? — Four: I. Prudence. 2. 
Justice. 3. Fortitude. 4. Temperance. 

Of all the moral virtues, these four-^— Prudence, Justice, 

Fortitude and Temperance — are the most necessary for 

us in our journey through this world to our last end. 

They are called "moral^^ virtues, because they regulate 

our morals diVidi our whole conduct according to the divine 

law, and they are called "cardinal' (from the Latin word 

'^cardo^' which means a hinge) because they are as the 

hinges whereon the whole Christian life must constantly 

move and whereby it is necessarily supported. 

Which are the most necessary moral virtues ? Why are they 
called moral, and why cardinal virtues ? 



378 THE CARDINAL VIRTUES. 

I. Prudence. — Prudence is a virtue which enlightens 
our mind and leads us to take proper and effectual means 
of securing our salvation. This virtue is required in 
every occurrence of life: in every undertaking it is for 
prudence to examine both sides, so that we may not act 
rashly ; in doubts it directs us to suspend our judgment 
and in the meantime to seek information and advice: 
" My son, do nothing without counsel, and thou shalt 
not repent when thou hast done." (Eccli. xxxii. 34.) 
Prudence tells us to consider our last end — the advant- 
ages of obtaining it, the consequences of losing it, the 
proper means of arriving at it, and to be earnest and 
diligent in employing those means; it shows us the ex- 
treme folly of fixing our hearts on perishable riches and 
of yielding to forbidden pleasures, because "the end of 
them is death." (Rom. vi. 2.) 

XL Justice. — In its limited sense justice is a virtue 
whereby we give to every man his own ; but as a cardinal 
virtue it means much more — ^it includes all the duties 
which we owe both to God Sind man : " Render, therefore, 
to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the 
things that are God's." (Matt. xxii. 21.) We render to 
Caesar the things that are Caesar's, or are just toward 
our neighbor when we do no injury to him, either in his 
goods, or in his honor, or in his person; and when, 
moreover, we fulfil toward him all those duties which 
society and religion give him a right to expect from us. 
And we render to God the things that are God's, and 
are, therefore, just toward Him when we fulfil the whole 
of his law, which is justice and truth : " All thy com- 
mandments are justice and thy law is the truth." 

(Ps. cxviii. 172, 142.) If we transgress the command- 
ments of God or jieglect his service, we are then unjust 
toward God : " Unless yoMV justice abound more than that 
of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the 
kingdom of heaven." (Matt. v. 20.) "Blessed are they 

What is prudence ? When is it required ? What does it tell us 
to consider ? What is justice ? When are we just toward our 
neighbor ? When are we just toward God ? 



THE CARDINAL VIRTUES. 379 

that hunger and thirst diittr justice, for they shall have 
their fill." (Matt. v. 6.) "Seek ye, therefore, first the 
kingdom of God and hi^ justice'' (Matt. vi. 33.) 

III. Fortitude. — Fortitude is a virtue which enables 
us to face any danger or difficulty for the cause of jus- 
tice and truth ; to suffer anything rather than to act con- 
trary to the fidelity which we owe to God. It is an in- 
vincible courage in the fulfilment of our duty founded 
on the goodness and providence of God. And we have 
innumerable examples of it in the Martyrs, who endured 
the most excruciating torments, the most painful and 
lingering deaths, rather than do anything against either 
truth or morality. Such ought likewise to be our dispo- 
sition. We must not confound this virtue with rashness. 
Fortitude is a virtue, but rashness is a vice. Fortitude 
springs from humility — from an humble confidence in 
God ; but rashness from pride — from a presumptuous 
confidence in one's self. Fortitude must be directed by 
prudence : these two cardinal virtues, acting in unison, 
will preserve us from exposing ourselves rashly or un- 
necessarily to danger ; but they will lead us to brave any 
danger when the cardinal virtue of justice (i. e., when 
any duty which we owe to God or man) requires it 
from us. St. Paul possessed true fortitude and made 
an act of this virtue when he said: "Who shall 
separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribula- 
tion, or distress, or famine, or danger, or persecu- 
tion, or the sword ? .... I am sure that neither 
death, nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 

present, nor things to come, nor any other creature 

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which 
is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. viii. 35,38, 39.) "If 
God be for us, who is against us ? " (Rom. viii. 31.) 

IV. Temperance. — In its limited sense, temperance 
means moderation in eating and drinking ; but as 2^ cardi- 
nal virtue it means moderation in all thi?igs, and enables 

AVhat is fortitude? Who are examples of it ? Is it the same as 
rashness ? In what words did St. Paul make an act of this virtue ? 
What is temperance ? 



380 GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST. 

us to restrain every desire of the heart according to the 
dictates of reason and reUgion. Even virtues may some- 
times be injured by excess as well as by deficiency (as, 
for example, the virtue of mortification) ; what would 
otherwise be a virtuous action may, by intemperance in 
the performance of it, be rendered vicious. Our passions 
naturally incline us to run into excess; temperance, 
therefore, is necessary for us : it is by means of this vir- 
tue that we are to restrain and subdue our passions and 
to keep them in complete subjection to reason. 

Conclusion. — From this short explanation of the four 
cardinal virtues, you see h9w necessary they are for us ; 
how we have to practice them at all times and on all 
occasions, and with what reason it is that they are called 
^'cardinal ;'' for you* see how they contain the practice 
of every other moral virtue; how prudence, by directing 
us to seek and secure our last end, leads us to esteem 
and employ the proper means of fulfilling our entire 
duty ; how justice is the actual fulfilment of every obliga- 
tion which w^e owe to God, to our neighbor and to our- 
selves ; and how fortitude and temperance insure perse- 
verance in our duty, for fortitude secures us from being 
led away by what is terrifying or painful to nature, and 
temperance prevents us from incurring the like evil by 
what is flattering to our inclinations or pleasing to the 
senses. 

What are its functions in regard to virtues and passions ? What 
is the conclusion to be drawn ? 



Instruction LXXl. 
The Seven Gifts and Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghosts 

How many are the Gifts of the Holy Ghost ? — Seven : I . Wisdom. 
2. Understanding. 3. Counsel. 4. Fortitude. 5. Knowledge. 

6. Godliness. 7. The Fear of the Lord. 

How many are the Fruits of the Holy Ghost? — Twelve : i . Charity. 
2« Joy- 3- Peace. 4. Patience. 5. Benignity. 6. Goodness. 

7. Longanimit\. 8. Mildness. 9. Fait^n. 10. Modesty. 11. Con- 
tinence. 12. Chastity. 



GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST. 381 

I. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost. — Every 
soul, when in the state of sanctifying grace, is enriched 
more or less with these seven gifts of the Holy Ghost ; 
but it is in the sacrament of confirmation more particu- 
larly that we receive the plenitude or fulness of them. 
These gifts are certain supernatural dispositions or habits 
of soul conferred upon us by the Holy Spirit, leading us 
to act (whenever occasions require or opportunities offer) 
according to the inspirations and motions of grace, and 
enabling us to fulfil the divine law with readiness and 
ease, especially in difiicult circumstances. They are 
called " gifts ^' because we receive them from the pure 
bounty of God, without any merit or claim on our part. 
They are all mentioned by the Prophet Isaias, who 
speaks of the Holy Ghost as " the Spirit of Wisdom 
and of Understanding; the Spirit of Counsel and of 
Fortitude; the Spirit of Knowledge and of Godliness; 
and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord." (Is. xi. 2, 3.) 

1. '' The Spirit of Wisdom " is a gift which teaches us 
to set a right value on salvation and on the means of 
obtaining it, and to undervalue all that is earthly and 
perishable. It leads us to despise the honors, riches 
and pleasures of this short life, to seek what is heavenly 
and eternal, and to employ our whole life in promoting 
God's honor, and in securing the possession of our last 
End. 

2. " The Spirit of Understanding'^ is a gift which 
enables us to conceive the truths of Religion, and to 
penetrate the mysteries of Faith, as far as (according to 
God's particular designs in our regard) is necessary for 
us, or conducive to our good. It fits us for meditating 
on the great truths of eternity, and for contemplating 
those mysteries of love, mercy, humiliation, etc., which 
are manifested to us in the Incarnation, Life, Passion 
and Death of our* Blessed Redeemer. 

What souls have the gifts of the Holy Ghost ? What do you 
mean by these gifts ? Repeat the words of Isaias. What is the 
Spirit of Wisdom ? What does it lead to ? What is the Spirit of 
Understanding ? What does it fit us for? 



382 GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST. 

3. " The Spirit of Cou?iseP^ is a gift which shows us 
the deceits of our spiritual enemies, directing us how to 
detect and escape their snares. It discovers to us the 
true means of advancing in virtue ; and in doubts, it 
leads us to take the right side of the question. Thus it 
helps very much to secure us in the path of salvation. 

4. " The Spirit of Fortitude^'' is a Gift which supports 
us in the trials of the Christian warfare, and makes us 
stand firm in the cause of truth and virtue, whatever 
difficulties, dangers or persecutions we may have to en- 
counter. 

5. " The Spirit of Knowledge" is a gift which helps 
us to learn the duties of Religion, and leads us to prefer 
this learning before any human science. It enables us 
to distinguish good from evil, and to avoid a false or 
blinded conscience, which is a source of so many sins 
and miseries. 

6. " The Spirit of Godliness" is a gift which helps us 
to put the duties of Rehgion in practice. It leads us to 
keep the Commandments, to be regular and dihgent in 
serving God, in prayer, meditation, public worship, con- 
fession, communion, acts of the theological virtues and 
in general piety. 

7. " The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord" is a gift which 
(being a filial fear) makes us dread incurring the anger 
of God, and so prevents us from oifending him by sin. 
It sets before us the terrors of his judgments against sin- 
ners, and so makes us labor to avert them by leading a 
virtuous and penitential life: "The fear of the Lord 
hateth evil ; " " it is a fountain of Hfe to decline from 
death." (Prov. viii. 18; xiv. 27.) ''The fear of the 
Lord driveth out sin ; " it is " the beginning of wisdom ; " 
it is even " fullness of wisdom." " The fear of God is 
the beginning of his love," therefore, " blessed is the 
man to whom it is given to have the fear of God." 
(Eccli. i. 27, 16, 20: XXV. 10, 15.) 

What is the Spirit of Counsel ? What is the Spirit of Fortitude ? 
What is the Spirit of Knowledge ? What is the Spirit of Godlinese? 
What is the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord ? 



FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST. 383 

From this explanation of the Seven Gifts of the Holy 
Ghost 'you see how truly rich are they upon whom they 
are bestowed ! Were we possessed of these precious 
treasures, what advances should we daily make in virtue^ 
and what a high degree of glory should we obtain here- 
after ! especially as our souls would be adorned, more- 
over, and enriched, with the Twelve Fruits of the Holy 
Ghost. 

II. The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost. — Oh^ 
how happy, how supremely happy, must their Hves be, 
who, being possessed of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, 
enjoy also the precious Fruits which those Gifts never 
fail to produce in the soul! 

These Twelve Fruits are all enumerated by St. Paul 
in his Epistle to the Galatians, where he says : " The 
Fruit of the Spirit is Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, 
Benignity, Goodness, Longanimity, Mildness, Faith, 
Modesty, Continence, Chastity. Against such there is 
no law." (Gal. v. 22, 23.) 

1. Charity, by which we keep our eyes fixed on God 
— on his divine Attributes or Perfections- — and tend to- 
wards him incessantly as the dearest object of our affec- 
tions : ^* The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts 
by the Holy Ghost who was given to us." (Rom. v. 5.) 

2. yoy, by which we serve God with cheerfulness, obey 
his will with alacrity, and taste those sweet consolations 
which are found only in the practice of virtue. 

3. Peace, by which, amidst the storms of life, amidst 
sufferings and misfortunes, we preserve tranquillity of 
soul, and enjoy a perpetual calmness of conscience — 
that " peace of God which surpasseth all understanding." 
(Phil. iv. 7.) 

4. Patience^ by which we endure the labors and 
troubles of life willingly and with resignation to the 
divine will ; and even rejoice in sufferings, afflictions and 
privations as real goods. 

5. Benignity^ by which we conduct ourselves towards 

Which are the Twelve Fruits of the? Holy Ghost ? Explain the 
function of each. 



384 FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST. 

Others with condescension and kindness, bearing with, 
and compassionating their weaknesses. 

6. Goodness^ by which we avoid doing any injury to 
others, and are always ready to render them whatever 
services we can, taking a pleasure in promoting their 
welfare. 

7. Longanimity, by which we persevere steadfastly in 
our duty, and never desist or grow weary whatever trials 
or difficulties may continue. 

8. Mildness, by which we restrain the motions of 
anger, and preserve a perpetual gentleness of temper, 
which renders a person truly amiable and beloved by all 
who know him, and also by God. 

9. Faith, by which we keep to our engagements, and 
fulfill our promises. 

10. Modesty, by which we are reserved in our com- 
portment, and avoid self-commendation. 

1 1 . Continence, by which we restrain, and effectually 
resist, our carnal inclinations, and so force them into 
subjection to the divine law. 

1 2. Chastity, by which we have such a love and esteem 
for angelic purity as preserves us effectually from every 
defilement of both body and mind, and entitles us to the 
fulfillment of the promise contained in this Beatitude : 
"Blessed are the clean in heart, for they shall see God." 
(Matt. V. 8:) 

Between Continence and Chastity, St. Anselm makes 
this distinction : *' Continence (he says) is in struggles- — 
in combat; Chastity is in peace P Therefore, according 
to him. Continence is Chastity militant and exercised by 
temptation. 

Conclusion. — These are the precious Fruits which 
arise from the Holy Ghost's abiding in the soul. If you 
possess them, happy are you ! but if you have lost them 
by sin — by banishiug the Holy Ghost from your soul — 
endeavor to recover them immediately by sincere repent- 
ance. Whenever your conscience tells you that you are 
in mortal sin, hasten to the Sacrament of reconciliation ; 
What is the conclusion ? 



CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY. 385 

put yourselves in a state of grace ; and employ the 
means which are necessary for enabling you to per- 
severe in this state, and then you will enjoy these happy 
Fruits of the Holy Ghost, together with his sevenfold 
Gifts. Pray fervently for these heavenly treasures — for 
the renewal of the graces of your Confirmation : recite, 
for this purpose, the ''Hymns of the Holy Ghost J' earn- 
estly inviting him to come and impart to you his heaven- 
ly Gifts, and to produce his Fruits in your soul. 



Instruction LXXII. 
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, 

Say the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, 

1. To feed the hungry. 

2. To give drink to the thirsty. 

3. To clothe the naked. 

4. To visit and ransom captives. 
To harbor the harborless. 
To visit the sick, 
To bury the dead. 



I; 



In the Second of the two great Commandments of the 
Law we are required to love our neighbor as ourselves. 
But as our love is not to be confirf^d to mere words only^ 
but must show itself in our works, the Catechism teaches 
us how we are to exercise charity towards our neighbor 
in all his wants, both corporal and spiritual. 

As to Corporal works of Mercy, we are strictly obliged 
to exercise them. The law of Nature requires that we 
should help the distressed. God has provided for the 
wants of the poor and destitute, by obHging those who 
are not poor to relieve them by giving their superflui- 
ties. This he positively commands, saying : '' There 
shall not be wanting poor in the land of thy habitation, 

Can you prove that we are strictly obliged to perform Corporal 
Works of Mercy ? 

25 



386 CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY. 

therefore I command thee to open thy hand to thy poor 
and needy brother." (Deut. xv. ii.) ''Help the poor, 
because of the Commandment, and send him not away 
empty-handed, because of his poverty." (EccH. xxix. 
12.) ''Give alms out of thy substance, and turn not 
away thy face from any poor person ; for so it shall 
'come to pass, that the face of the Lord shall not be 
turned away from thee." (Tobias iv. 7.) " Give and it 
shall be given to you, good measure, and pressed down, 
and shaken together, and running over." (Luke vi. 38.) 
God rewards those who comply with this command, for 
his divine word assures us, that while " he that despiseth 
the entreaty of the poor shall suffer indigence." (Prov. 
xxviii. 27.) " He that hath^mercy on the poor lendeth to 
the Lord, and he will repay him." (Prov. xix. 17.) " For 
the Lord maketh recompense, and will give thee seven 
times as much." (Eccli. xxxv. 13.) And to excite our 
confidence in these promises, the Almighty even says : 
" Try me in this ; if I open not to you the flood-gates of 
heaven, and pour you out a blessing even to abundance." 
(Mai. iii. 10.) 

As there are seven kinds of corporal miseries, so there 
are seven corresponding Corporal Works of Mercy : 

I and 2. To Feed the Hungry, a^id to give Drink 
TO THE Thirsty; i. e., to supply them with necessary 
food, or corporal nourishment. How pitiable is the state 
of persons reduced to absolute want of food — perishing 
from hunger or thirst ! How hard-hearted must he be 
who can see them in this extremity and refuse relief! 
and how guilty must such a one be in the sight of God 1 
With what hope can he beg the blessings of God when 
he himself rejects the entreaties of his distressed neigh- 
bor ? " Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy." 
(Tobias iv. 17.) " Whosoever shall give to drink a cup 
of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, amen, 1 
say to you, he shall not lose his reward." (Matt. x. 41.) 

3. To Clothe the Naked. — When the poor are not 

Why are there Seven Corporal Works of Mercy ? Explain tlie 
first and second. 



CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY. 387 

only i\\-/ed, but '^-clothed also — covered only with a few 
tattered rags — their state becomes still more pitiable. 
The charitable Christian cannot see them in this desti- 
tute state without melting into compassion ; but what 
would be his feelings if he could see the wretched con- 
dition of many poor during the nights ? if he were to 
behold both parents and children shivering with cold, 
under most scanty covering — exposed to the wind which 
enters through broken panes or through gaping cracks 
in the walls — perhaps also exposed to the rain dropping 
upon them through the roof! What a charity it is to 
relieve these miseries, and how meritorious I If, instead 
of decorating themselves and their children with useless 
ornaments, people would save these expenses in order to 
procure necessary comforts for the poor, how many 
human miseries would be thereby relieved ! " When 
thou shalt see one naked cover him.'* (Is. Iviii. 7.) 

4. To Visit and Ransom Captives. — ^y captives 2,xt 
meant those who have been taken and confined unjustly, 
or through misfortune. To visit such, with a view to 
comfort them, and to endeavor to obtain their deliver- 
ance, are acts of great charity, and are highly meritori- 
ous. To afford poor persons the means of keeping out 
of the workhouse is a similar charity. 

5. To Harbor the Harborless. — To lodge strangers 
in one's house, in the present state of society, is neither 
safe nor prudent, so that this work of mercy would be 
better exercised by affording the means, to those who 
stand in need, of procuring a sufficient lodging. In 
many cases this is a great and necessary charity. 

6. To Visit the Sick. — To attend the sick, or to 
visit them, in order to afford consolation, is always con- 
sidered a great work of mercy. It relieves their afflic- 
tion, cheers their drooping spirits, and gives them com- 
fort, and it is doing as we would be done by. 

7. To Bury the Dead. — To afford decent burial to 
the dead is the last act of charity we can perform for 

Explain the third. Explain the fourth. Explain the fifth. Ex- 
plain the sixth. Explain the seventh. 



388 CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY. 

our neighbor with regard to the body. It should be done 
from motives of charity. For this work of mercy Tobias 
is highly commended in Scripture, and held out to others 
as an example. (Tobias xii. ii, 12.) 

Conclusion. — These Works of Mercy are of such 
obligation and importance^ that to the. neglect or perform- 
ance of them our sentence at the last day will be 
attributed : '^ Then shall the King say to them that 
shall be on his right hand : Come, ye blessed of my 
Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from 
the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you 
gave me to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink ; 
I was a stranger, and you took me in ; naked, and you 
covered me ; sick, and you visited me ; I was in prison, 
and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, 
saying : Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed 
thee ? thirsty, and gave thee drink ? and when did we 
see thee a stranger and took thee in ? or naked, and 
covered thee ? or when did we see thee sick or in prison, 
and came to thee ? And the King answering, shall say 
to them : Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to 
one of these my least brethren you did it to me. Then 
shall he say to them also that shall be on his left hand : 
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which 
was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was 
hungry, and you gave me not to eat ; I was thirsty, and 
you gave me not to drink ; I was a stranger, and you 
took me not in ; naked, and you covered me not ; sick 

and in prison, and you did not visit me Amen 

I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these 
least you did it not to me. And these shall go into ever- 
lasting punishments, but the just into life everlasting. 
(Matt. XXV. 34-46.) 

What a powerful motive to induce us to practice these 
Corporal Works of Mercy ! The performance or neglect 
of them is to decide our lot forever ! Take care, there- 
fore, not to neglect them. 

To what does Christ say our sentence at the last day shall be at- 
tributed ? 



SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY. 389 

Instruction LXXIII. 

The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy , 

Say the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, 

I To convert the sinnfer. 

2. To instruct the ignorant. 

3. To counsel the doubtful. 

4. To comfort the sorrowful. 

5. To bear wrongs patiently. 

6. To forgive injuries. 

7. To pray for the living and the dead. 

The exercise of fraternal Charity extends to the per- 
formance not only of the Corporal but also the Spiritual 
Woiks of Mercy ; and, indeed, these are of greater im- 
portance, because the welfare of the soul is of far more 
consequence than that of the body. If, therefore, so 
great a reward is given to those who relieve the corporal 
wants of their neighbor (Matt. xxv. 34-40), what must 
be the reward given to those who relieve his spiritual 
wants ? Certainly they will be entitled to God's tender- 
est mercies and most special graces in this life, and to a 
higher degree of glory in the next : " For they that 
instruct many to justice shall shine as stars for all eter- 
nity." (Dan. xii. 3.) " He that causeth a sinner to be 
converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul 
from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins." (James 
v. 20.) 

I. To Convert the Sinner. — The most necessary 
good that we can procure for any one who is living in 
habits of sin, is to convert him from his evil ways. This 
is the greatest act of Charity we can exercise towards 
him. To admonish sinners, with a view to their amend- 
ment, though a delicate point, is often a strict duty, but 
it is a duty in the performance of which great prudence 
is required. Neglect not to give charitable admonitions 
when there is a prospect of doing good : '* If a man be 

Which are more important, the Spiritual or the Corporal Works 
of Mercy ? Explain the first. 



390 SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY. 

overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct 
such a one in the spirit of meekness." (Gal. vi. i.) 

2. To Instruct the Ignorant. — How many oppor- 
tunities are there of performing this work of mercy ! 
By embracing these opportunities, you both contribute 
to your neighbor's salvation, and also add very consider- 
ably to your future glory : " They that instruct many 
to justice shall shine as stars for all eternity." (Dan. 
xii. 3.) 

3. To Counsel the Doubtful. — When doubts are 
floating in a person^s mind with regard to Religion and 
duty, and when, with regard to these, he is in difficult 
circumstances, it is a great charity to give him suitable 
advice — to relieve his anxious waverings, by clearing up 
his doubts, thereby putting him in the way of salvation. 
St. James says : " That he who causeth a sinner to be 
converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul 
from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins." (James 
V. 20.) 

4. To Comfort the Sorrowful. — When we soothe 
the afflicted heart with words of consolation, suggesting 
motives of patience, resignation and penance ; and when 
we show towards the distressed a compassionate and 
kind treatment, we then comply with these words of St. 
Paul; "Weep with them that weep." (Rom. xii. 15.) 
And when this is done from pure motives — from the 
motives of Christian Charity — it is very meritorious in 
the sight of God. 

5. To Bear Wrongs Patiently. — People's humors, 
ill-tempers and other failings, and also their ingratitude 
for kindnesses received, are sometimes so tiresome and 
provoking that it requires no little patience to bear with 
them. Yet we ought not to lose our patience, but to 
bear with these failings of our neighbor, considering our 
own, and encouraging ourselves by these words of St. 
Paul : " Bear ye one another's burdens, and so you shall 

Explain the second Spiritual Work of Mercy ? the third ? also 
the fourth and fifth ? 



SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY. 391 

fulfill the law of Christ." " We that are stronger ought 
to bear the infirmities of the weak." (Gal. vi. 2 ; Rom. 

XV. I.) 

6. To Forgive Injuries. — If our enemy repent and 
ask pardon, Charity obliges us to forgive him, for if we 
were in his place we should wish to be forgiven : " If 
thy brother sin against thee, reprove him ; and if he do 
penance, forgive him. And if he sins against thee seven 
times a day, and seven times a day be converted unto 
thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.** (Luke xvii. 3, 4.) 
But even if he do not ask pardon, still Charity requires 
us to forgive him, as Christ on the Cross forgave his 
executioners (Luke xxiii. 34); and as St. Stephen for- 
gave those who were stoning him to death. (Acts 
vii. 59.) 

7. To Pray for the Living and the Dead. — We 
should pray for all mankind — for both friends and 
enemies. The latter, indeed, have more need of pray- 
ers, and our praying for them shows a more disinterested 
charity : " Pray one for another, that you maybe saved." 
(James v. 16.) *' Pray for them that persecute and 
calumniate you." (Matt. v. 44.) We should pray also 
for the dead — for our deceased relatives, friends and 
benefactors, and for all the Faithful departed. This is 
the last act of charity that we can do for them : " It is a 
holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that 
they may be loosed from their sins." (2 Mac. xii. 46.) 

Conclusion. — Be diligent in exercising these Works 
of Mercy, both Corporal and Spiritual. For thereby 
you will be " laying up to yourselves treasures in hea- 
ven, where neither the rust nor the moth consume, and 
where thieves do not break through nor steal." (Matt. 
vi. 20.) You will, by these good works, " make sure 
your calling and your election (2 Pet. i. 10); and there 
will be " laid up for you a crown of justice, which (at 
your departure out of this world) the just Judge will 
render unto you." (2 Tim. iv. 8.) Because then, in- 

Explain the sixth Spiritual Work of Mercy ? Explain the seventh ? 
What should we conclude ? 



892 THE EIGHT BEATITUDES. 

Stead of that ^^ judgment without mercy," which will be 
dealt out " to him that hath not done mercy " (James ii. 
13^, inj'<^^^ will be fulfilled this Beatitude promised by 
your Redeemer : " Blessed are the merciful, for they 
shall obtain mercy." (Matt. v. 7.) 



Instruction LXXIV. 
The Eight Beatitudes, 

Say the Eight Beatitudes: 

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of 
heaven. 

2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.' 

3. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they 
shall be filled. 

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. 

6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. 

7. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the chil- 
dren of God. 

8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for 
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

In the Eight Beatitudes with which Christ commences 
his Sermon on the Mount (Matt. v. 3--10), he shows us 
wherein true happiness really consists, and by what 
means we are to arrive at it. Man naturally and neces- 
sarily seeks happiness, but, blinded and deluded by his 
passions, by his love of the honors, riches, and pleasures 
of this life, he seeks his happiness where it is not to be 
found. Our blessed Lord directs our pursuit to proper 
objects : he lays down Eight Maxims, as the founda- 
tions of that sublime morality which he came to teach, 
and which are the sure way to a happy life here and also 
to eternal happiness hereafter. 

I. ^'Blessed are the poor in spirit^ for theirs is the king- 
dom of heaven y — How consoling are these words to the 
poor and destitute ! Their kingdom, their elevation, is 

What does Christ show us in the Eight Beatitudes? In regard 
to what is man blinded and deluded ? Of what are the Beatitudes 
the foundation ? What is the first ? 



THE EIGHT BEATITUDES. 393 

not of this world ; but they are directed to look forward 
to that happy kingdom which is to be their everlasting 
inheritance. If on earth they have to endure labors^ 
hardships, humiHations, contempt, privations and desti- 
tution, after their short pilgrimage here they will be ex- 
alted, enriched, and united with their God in the pos- 
session of eternal glory : " For theirs is the kingdom of 
heaven." 

Yet this Beatitude regards such of the poor only as 
are so 'Hn spirit ^^ — such as bear their privations in a 
spirit of patience, resignation, and humility, and are con- 
tent with their condition. 

It applies also to those among iherich who* are ''poor 
i7i spirit'' — who are detached in heart and affections 
from their possessions, and who employ their riches in 
doing good, by assisting the poor, and contributing to 
the support of Religion : " Blessed are the poor in spirit^ 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

2. "Blessed are the meek^ for they shall possess the 
la7idy — Meekness, mildness, and gentleness of temper 
are amiable dispositions, and when manifested under in- 
sults, violence, oppression, injuries, or any other ill-treat- 
ment, they show the true Christian ; they make a per- 
son pleasing to God and beloved by men, and promote 
his happiness both here and hereafter : ** Do thy works 
in meekness, and thou shalt be beloved above the glory 
of men." (Eccl. iii. 19.) ^* Blessed are the meek, for 
they shall possess the land," " the land of the living." 
(Ps. xxvi. 13.) 

3. " Blessed are they that mourn ^ for they shall he com- 
fortedy — To mourn, to lament and weep, seem to earth- 
ly-minded persons to indicate anything but happiness 
and comfort ; they seek their comfort in earthly pleas- 
ures and festive enjoyments. But Christ tells us that 
they only have true happiness or comfort who mourn — 
who, renouncing earthly and carnal pleasures, bewail 
their own and others' sins, who sigh over the dangers 

What consolation does it give ? To whom does it apply ? Can you 
explain the second Beatitude ? also the third ? 



S94 THE EIGHT BEATITUDES. 

to which salvation is continually exposed, and who look 
upon this life as a time of banishment : " They who sow 
in tears shall reap in joy'' (Ps. cxxv. 5), and therefore, 
" Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com- 
forted." 

4. " Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after jus- 
tice^ for they shall be filled'' — By hungering and thirsting 
after justice is meant desiring ardently and seeking earn- 
estly to become just; i.e., to become every day more 
and more virtuous. This disposition of soul is a very 
great grace, enabling us to advance rapidly, and with 
much facility, in the practice of virtue, and to arrive in 
a short time at a very high state of perfection : it is a 
constant source of abundant merit, and an effectual 
means of acquiring a greater degree of glory in heaven; 
therefore, " Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after 
justice, for they shall be filled." 

5. " Blessed are the metciful^ for they shall find mercy.^^ 
— To show mercy to our brethren is one condition for 
our obtaining mercy from God. What an encourage- 
ment is this Beatitude to assist the poor and distressed ! 
If their wants are regarding the body^ we have to exer- 
cise the corporal works of mercy : " Do good [even] to 
them that hate you; bless them that curse you; pray 
for them that persecute and calumniate you." (Matt. 
V. 44; Luke vi. 27, 28.) By thus showing mercy to 
•others we disarm the anger of God, and entitle our- 
selves to his mercy : " Blessed are the merciful, for they 
shall find mercy." 

6. " Blessed are the clean of hearty for they shall see 
Godr — '^The clean of heart" are they who are free 
from earthly, carnal, and impure affections, which defile 
the heart in the sight of God. Our outward actions 
correspond with and proceed from our inward disposi- 
tions; our Blessed Lord assures us that out of the heart 
come forth evil actions, as well as evil thoughts and de- 
sires. (Matt. XV. 19.) Now, God sees the heart, he 

What does the fourth mean ? Explain the fifth ? also the sixth ? 



THE EIGHT BEATITUDES. 395 

sees its affections and intentions, and unless these be 
right, whatever our outward conduct may be, we cannot 
see God — it is only the upright of heart that can enjoy 
this blessing : " Blessed are the clean of heart, for they 
shall see God." 

7 . ' ' Blessed are the peace-makers ^ for they shall be called 
the children of God!" — Peace-makers are, in a special 
manner, the followers of Christ, whose title is " The 
Prince of Peace " (Is. ix. 6), and who bequeathed his 
peace as a legacy to his followers. We must first make 
peace in our own souls, by subduing our passions, etc., 
then we must endeavor to make and maintain peace 
with our neighbor : " If it be possible, as much as is in 
you, have peace with all men." (Rom. xii. i8.; '^ If 
it be possible^' i. e., if we can have peace with them, 
without purchasing it at the expense of truth or virtue. 
We should endeavor to reconcile persons who are at 
variance, by making peace beween them : ^' Blessed are 
the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children 
of God." 

8. '-' Blessed are they that suffer persecutio7i for justice 
sake ^ for theirs is the kingdom of God'^ — To suffer perse- 
cution in the cause of truth and virtue is the last and 
highest degree of Beatitude : it is the most perfect sacri- 
fice of ourselves which we can make to our Creator, 
and consequently it " works for us above measure, ex- 
ceedingly, an eternal weight of glory." (2 Cor. iv. 17.) 
Convinced of this truth, the Apostles esteemed it as a 
great favor when God permitted them to be persecuted : 
" They went from the presence of the Council, rejoicing 
that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for 
the name of Jesus." (Acts v. 41.) " My brethren (says 
St. James), count it all joy when you shall fall into divers 
temptations " (i. e., trials and persecutions), " knowing 
that the trying of your faith worketh patience, and pa- 
tience hath a perfect work.' (James i. 2-4.) ^^ All that 
w^ill live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 

Explain the seventh Beatitude. Explain the eighth. 



396 THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ETC. 

(2 Tim. iii. 12.) These considerations should" console 
and encourage us when we have anything to endure for 
the cause of truth, or for our duty to God : " Blessed 
are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs 
is the kingdom of heaven." 

Conclusion. — Endeavor to become truly '''poor in 
spirit^' by disengaging your affections from all attachments 
to earthly possessions ; to be " meek,'' mild, and patient 
under contradictions ; to " mourn " over your own sins, 
and those of others, by making atonement for them ; to 
be always longing and striving '''after justice^' or greater 
perfection; and to fulfill what -is pointed out in the other 
Beatitudes : then will you be truly " blessed^' for you will 
then be happy here in the peace of a good conscience, 
and happy hereafter in the eternal enjoyment of all that 
is promised in these Eight Beatitudes. 



Instruction LXXV. 
The Seven Deadly Sins, and the Contrary Virtues. 

Say the Seven Deadly Sins: Contrary Virtues: 

Pride, Humility, 

Covetousness, Liberality, 

Lust, Chastity, 

Anger, Meekness, 

Gluttony, Temperance, 

Envy, Brotherly Love, 

Sloth. Diligence. 

These seven Vices are called deadly because they 
bring death to the soul that yields to them. They are 
also called the seven capital sins, because they are the 
heads from which all other sins proceed. On these 
Vices there are, in the " Garden of the Sonf some very 
excellent instructions, entitled " Kennedies against Vices^^ 
which it would be well to read occasionally with attten- 
tion. 

What is the conclusion? Why are some vices called deadly and 
capital ? 



THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ETC. b97 

In each person there is, generally speaking, some one 
passion or vicious inclination which is stronger than the 
rest, and which is called his Predominant Passion, This 
is the ruling passion of his heart, and the chief source 
of all the vices to which he may be enslaved. You 
should pay very special attention to your Predominant 
Passion, and also to its Contrary Virtue, that you may 
root out the one and plant the other in its place ; this is 
the warfare wherein you will have to be engaged as 
long as you live, and to succeed in it should be your 
constant aim and endeavor : " To him that overcometh 
I will give the hidden manna. . . . To him that shall 
overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne." 
(Apoc. ii. 17 ; iii. 21.) 

I. Pride is an inordinate love of one's own excel- 
lence — an inordinate self-esteem. It is a most danger- 
ous passion, because it is so natural and subtle, and also 
because it branches out into so many other vices ; for 
the proud become vain-glorious, or fond of the applause 
of men ; ambitious, or in love with worldly honors ; 
hypocritical, conceited, disdainful, obstinate, conten- 
tious, etc. Pride is essentially a lie^ because it is founded 
on a falsehood ; it is essentially a robbery, because it is 
the taking to one's self what belongs to God ; and it is 
the very root of all evil : " From pride all perdition took 
its beginning." (Tobias iv. 14.) 

Humility, on the contrary, is the foundation of every 
virtue. It teaches us to look upon all good as coming to 
us from. God, without any merit on our part: "What 
hast thou which thou hast not received ? and if thou hast 
received why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not re- 
ceived it ? " (i Cor. iv. 7.) It leads us to believe not 
only that we have no merit, but that we have much de- 
merit; that if we were to have our due we should receive 
from God nothing but chastisements on account of our 
sins. Hence, the humble man debases himself below all 

What should each person attend to especially ? What is pride ? Is 
it dangerous ? What is it essentially ? What is humiUty ? What 
does it teach, and to what does it lead ? 



398 THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ETC. 

Others. Happy disposition! because it is most pleasing 
to God, and draws down his favors and protection : 
" To the humble God giveth grace." (i Pet. v. 5.) 

2. CovETOUSNESS is an inordinate love of riches or 
earthly possessions. The more this love is gratified the 
stronger and more insatiable it becomes. As the pos- 
sessions of a covetous man increase, his want of still 
greater possessions also increases, and, consequently, 
covetousness makes a man wretchedly poor ^vtn in the 
midst oi plenty ; it renders him deaf to the cries of the 
destitute, unmercifully sparing to the wants of his poor 
relations, and even to his own individual necessities, and 
it leads to many other sins — to extortion, cheating, 
stealing, lying, etc. What with the desire of gaining, 
and they^^r of losing, the covetous man is always rest- 
less and unhappy : " They that will become rich fall into 
temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into 
many unprofitable and hurtful desires which drown men 
into destruction and perdition. For the desire of money 
is the root of all evils." (i Tim. vi. 9, 10.) 

Liberality, which is opposed to covetousness, with- 
draws the affections from earthly possessions, and leads 
us to exercise works of mercy. It makes us look upon 
it as being " a more blessed thing to give \}vi^xi to receive" 
(Acts XX. 35), and it inclines us, therefore, to " bow 
down onr QdiX cheerfully to the poor," and open oar hand 
readily for the relief of him that is in distress. (Eccli. 
iv. 8, 9.) 

3. Lust is an inordinate love or desire of carnal 
pleasures, and it comprises every kind of uncleanness in 
thought, word and deed. This vice is so displeasing to 
God, and the crimes to which it leads are so hateful in 
his sight, that he speaks of them as being '' detestable 
things " — as " abominations " which draw down his re- 
venge : " Every soul that shall commit any of these 

What is covetousness ? What are its consequences ? What is 
liberality? What does it do? What is lust? Can you show that 
it is displeasing to God ? — first, from the way he speaks of it ; second, 
from its chastisement. 



THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ETC. 399 

abominations shall perish from the midst of his people." 
(Levit. xviii. 29, 27.) It enkindles his wrath to such a 
degree that his severest and most extensive chastise- 
ments, executed upon mankind in this life have been pro- 
voked by sins of the flesh, as the universal deluge (Gen. 
vi. 1-13), the destruction of Sodom and of the neighbor- 
ing cities (Gen. xviii. 20; xix. 24, 25); the four-and- 
twenty thousand Israelites whom God ordered at once 
to be slain in the desert (Num. xxv. i, 3, 4, 9.), etc. 
This vice, by blinding the understanding and hardening 
the heart, leads to almost every kind of sin, and is most 
ruinous in its consequences both to body and soul, as 
the last day will demonstrate by showing us the vast 
multitude of impenitent sinners who will owe their ruin 
to this fatal vice. 

Chastity is the contrary Virtue, which is so pleasing 
to God that it draws down upon us his choicest graces 
and blessings. It renders our souls the spouses of Jesus 
Christ, and makes us like angels on earth ; it is therefore 
called the Angelic Virtue, In order to obtain and pre- 
serve it be humble, because Humility is the Mother 
and Guardian of Chastity. It is only to the humble 
that God gives the special grace of this virtue. Never 
expose your Chastity to danger, but preserve it with the 
greatest care, praying for it frequently and earnestly, 
and always cherishing a great love and esteem for it in 
your heart : '-' Blessed are the clean of hearty for they shall 
see God." (Matt. v. 3.) 

4. Anger is an inordinate desire of revenge. This 
vice is directly contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel, 
which breathes nothing more than meekness and 
patience. Anger hurries a person into many other sins, 
as contentions, enmities, hatred, revenge, fighting, etc., 
and how many oaths, curses and blasphemies proceed 
from it ? Therefore, " let all bitterness and anger . . . 
be put away from you." (Eph. iv. 31.) 

Meekness is contrary to anger, and it shows itself in 

Is Chastity pleasing to God ? What should be done in order to 
obtain and preserve it ? What is Anger ? What does it lead to ? 



400 



THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ETC. 



mildness of conduct, gentleness of temper and patient 
forbearance. It is a most amiable virtue, which not 
only corrects our own anger, but also disarms that of 
others, and it makes persons beloved both by God and 
man : '^ Learn of me, because I am meek and humble 
of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls." (Matt, 
xi. 29.) 

5. Gluttony is an excess in the use of food, or an 
inordinate desire of eating or drinking. Food is given 
to us to be used for oar support, and not to be abused 
by intemperance. They are guilty of this vice who take 
too much to the prejudice of their health, who are over- 
nice in what they take, or who are always hankering 
after eating and drinking. Such persons should reflect 
that we do not live in order to eat and drink, but we eat 
and drink in order to live ; and that by perverting this 
order they rank themselves with those of whom St. Paul 
says : " They are enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose 
God is their belly, and whose end is destruction," (Phil, 
iii. 18, 19.) 

Temperance and sobriety are contrary to gluttony ; 
and they are virtues necessary for us, not only as pre- 
servatives from that vice, and from many other sins, but 
also as a means of practicing that penance, mortification 
and self-denial so much insisted upon and enforced by 
Christ and his Apostles. 

6. Envy is a sadness or repining at another's good, 
because it seems to lessen one's own ; and it is directly 
opposed to Christian Charity, which, as St. Paul says, 
" envieth not, but rejoiceth in good." (i Cor. xiii. 4, 6.) 
Envy destroys a person's peace of mind, and is the 
source of so many other sins that St. James says: 
" Where envying and contention is there is inconstancy 
and every evil work.'' (James iii. 16.) 

What is Meekness ? Is it an amiable virtue ? What is Glut- 
tony ? Who are guilty of it ? What should they reflect on ? Are 
temperance and sobriety necessary ? What is Envy ? What effect 
has it ? 



THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ETC. 401 

Brotherly Love, on the contrary, " rejoices with 
them that rejoice, and weeps with them that weep." 
(Rom. xii. 15.) It is the very spirit and practice of 
Christianity : " The love of our neighbor worketh no 
evil ; love therefore is the fulfilling of the law." (Rom. 
xiii. 8-10.) It is also the characteristic mark of the true 
followers of Christ : " By this shall all men know that you 
are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 
(John xiii. 35.) 

7. Sloth is a laziness of soul by which persons neglect 
to begin or to perform such things as are necessary for 
salvation, for, as one of the deadly sins, it means spiritual 
sloth. The more this sloth is indulged the more burden- 
some it becomes. The slothful Christian has indeed 
faith, but it is a dead faith, because he neglects to keep 
it alive by good works. We are sent into this world, 
not to live at our ease, but to work out our salvation ; 
and to succeed in this work we must not only be reso- 
lute in " declining from evil," but diligent also in " doing 
good." (Ps. xxxvi. 27.) [Example of the five foolish 
virgins, and of the slothful servant.] (Matt. xxv. 1-30.) 

Diligence, or spiritual fervor, is a virtue by which 
we are zealous in laboring for the service of God and 
the salvation of our soul: it makes the duties of Reli- 
gion appear, not burdensome or tedious, but easy and 
agreeable; it keeps the lamp of our faith burning with 
the oil of good works ; and so causes us to be always 
ready, like the five wise Virgins ; and, having made us 
rich in good works, it will entitle us, at our entrance into 
eternity, to hear from our Lord these consoling words : 
'' Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou 
hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee 
over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 

What is brotherly love ? What is it a mark of ? What is sloth ? 
What can you say against it ? What is diligence ? What happy 
effect does it produce ? 
26 



^O'A SINS AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. 

Instruction LXXVI. 

T^e Six Sins against the Holy Ghost — The Four Sins 
crying to Heaven for Vengeance — The Nine Ways of 
being Accessory to Another Per soft's Sins. 

Say the Six Sins against the Holy Ghost, — i. Presumption of 
God's Mercy; 2. Despair; 3. Resisting the known truth; 4. Envy 
at another's spiritual good; 5. Obstinacy in sin; 6. Final impeni- 
tence. 

Say the Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance, — I. Willful 
murder ; 2. Sodomy ; 3. Oppression of the Poor ; 4. Defrauding 
laborers of their wages. 

Say the Nine Ways of Being Accessory to Another Person's Sins, — 
I. By counsel; 2. By command; 3. By consent ; 4. By provoca- 
tion ; 5. By praise or flattery ; 6. By concealment ; 7. By partak- 
ing; 8. By silence ; 9. By defense of the ill done. 

I. The Six Sins Against the Holy Ghost. — These 
are not sins of mere frailty or ignorance; but of real 
malice or wickedness of heart. They are directly con- 
trary to God's love and mercy — to the divine charity ; 
and are, therefore, called " Sins against the Holy Ghost." 

1. Presumption of God's Mercy. — This Presumption is 
a rash confidence of obtaining mercy and eternal salva- 
tion, without taking the means that are necessary ; and 
it is founded on the idea, which some persons get, that 
God is too merciful to condemn them to everlasting 
misery. We should bear in mind that, though God is 
infinitely merciful, he is also infinitely just. 

2. Despair. — This sin against the Holy Ghost is com- 
mitted by giving up all hope of salvation, or of the 
amendment of our life ; as if we were already numbered 
among the reprobate, 

3. Resisting the Known Truth. — This sin consists in 
speaking or writing against the true Religion, at the 
same time knowing better; or in wilfully misrepresent- 
ing its doctrines and practices ; or in refusing to embrace 
it, when convinced of its truth. How common in these 
days! 

Why are some sins called sins against the Holy Ghost ? What 
is presumption ? How is despair committed ? In what does 
resisting the known truth consist ? 



SINS AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. 403 

4. Envy at Afiother's Spiritual Good. — How common, 
also, is this ! for how many are there, at the present day, 
who scoff at Rehgious Orders, ceHbacy, fasting, festival 
days, confession, and other practices of the CathoHc 
Church, because they aim not at such devotion them- 
selves ? Our practices of Rehgion are a reproach to 
them, and are, therefore, the objects of their misrepre- 
sentation, and of their invectives, sarcasm and abuse, 
of which they are not at all sparing. 

5. Obstinacy in Sin, — This crime is committed by 
those who go on in sin, positively resisting graces, ad- 
monitions, remorses, etc. This is a most dreadful state 
of soul ! for it draws down the execution of that terrible 
judgment which was pronounced against the Jews : 
" Blind the heart of this people, and make their ears 
heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, 
and hear with their ears, and understand with their 
heart, and be converted and I heal them.'* (Is. 4, 10.) 

6. Final Lnpenitence, — This consists in putting off 
one's repentance till death, and then dying without 
repentance. 

" Therefore, I say to you : Every sin and blasphemy 
shall be forgiven men ; but the blasphemy of the Spirit 
shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word 
against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him ; but 
he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not 
be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world 
to come" (Matt. xii. 31, 32); i. e., it will be very diffi- 
cult for such a sinner to obtain the grace of true repent- 
ance. Final impenitence, of course, cannot possibly be 
forgiven; because, after death, repentance comes too 
late. To avoid this dreadful evil, begin your repentance 
now — put yourself now in the state of grace : " Let your 
loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and you 
yourselves like to men who wait for their Lord, .... 
that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to 

Who are guilty of envy ? Why ? How is obstinacy in sin com- 
mitted ? Is it a dreadful state ? What is final impenitence ? Say 
the Word of Christ. What should we do to avoid this evil ? 



404 SINS CRYING FOR VENGEANCE. 

him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the 
Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. . . . And 
if he shall come in the second watch, or if he shall come 
in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are these 

servants Be you, then, also ready ; for at what 

hour you think not, the Son of Man will come." (Luke 
xii. 35 to 40.) Comply with this advice of your Re- 
deemer ; and then, whatever your sins may have been, 
instead of dymg impenitent, you will die the death of 
the just, and obtain the eternal happiness for which you 
were created. 

II. The Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Ven- 
geance. — These are four very dreadful crimes, against 
which Almighty. God expresses his anger in the strong- 
est terms. The explanation of them belongs properly 
to the explanation of the Commandments : for, Wilful 
Murder is forbidden by the Fifth Commandment ; 
Sodomy (which is an unnatural sin of impurity), by the 
Sixth; Oppression of the poor ^ and defrauding laborers of 
their wages, by the Seventh. 

These four sins are said to ^^ cry to heaven for ven- 
geance^' because we find them so represented in the 
Sacred Scriptures. 

1. Wilful Murder, — "The Lord said to Cain : What 
hast thou done ? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth 
to me from the earth." (Gen. iv. 10.) 

2. Sodomy — "And the Lord said ; The cry of Sodom 
and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become 
exceedingly grievous. I will go down and see whether 
they have done according to the cry that is come to meT 
(Gen. xviii. 20, 21.) And the angels said to Lot : "We 
will destroy this place, because their cry is grown loud 
before the Lord, who hath sent us to destroy them." 
(Gen. xix. 13.) 

3. Oppression of the Poor, — " You shall not hurt a 
widow or an orphan. If you hurt them, they will cry 

Can you prove that wilful murder cries to heaven for vengeance ? 
Prove the same in regard to Sodomy. Also, in regard to oppres- 
sion of the poor. 



THE NINE WAYS, ETC. 405 

out to me^ and I will hear their cry,^^ (Exod. xxii. 22 to 
24.) ^' The Lord will not accept any person against a 
poor man, and he will hear the prayer of him thg.t is 
ivro7iged. He will not despise the prayers of the father- 
less; nor the widow, when she poureth out her com- 
plaint. Do not the widow's tears run down the cheek, 
and her cry against him that causeth them to fall ? For 
from the cheek they go up even to heaven^ and the Lord 
that heareth will not be delighted with them." (Eccli. 
XXXV. 16 to 19.) 

4. Defraudi?ig Laborers of their Wages, — " Behold the 
hire of the laborers, who have reaped down your fields, 
which by fraud hath been kept back by you, crieth; and 
the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord 
of Sabaoth." (James v. 4.) 

IIL The Nine Ways of being Accessory to An- 
other Person's Sins. — There are some persons who 
concern themselves but very little about the sins which 
they cause their neighbor to commit ; although they are 
as guilty before God as if they committed the sinful acts 
themselves, and even more so. We may cause others to 
sin (and so be guilty .ourselves), in these nine ways, viz. : 

\. By counsel: i, e., by advising or directing the com- 
mission of an evil. 

2. By command: by forcing or obliging any one to it. 

3. By consent : \>y permitting any of those who are 
under our control to commit it. 

4. By provocation : by exciting any one to passion, to 
cursing, to lewdness, etc. 

5. By praise or flattery : by praising or flattering any 
person for the evil which he has done, and thereby 
causing him to do it again. 

6. By concealme7it : by hiding the crime, or the crimi- 
nal, or things that have been stolen, and thereby en- 
couraging the evil to go on ; or by harboring thieves, 
or lewd persons, etc., thereby favoring their criminal 
practices. 

Prove that defrauding laborers of their wages cries to heaven. 
Are those who cause others to sin guilty ? Say the nine ways. 



406 THREE EMINENT GOOD WORKS. 

7. By partaking: by sharing in ill-gotten goods, or in 
any other fruits of wickedness, whereby we encourage 
the transgressions. 

8. By silence .• by not speaking to prevent an evil 
when we should and could have prevented it. 

9. By defence of the ill done : by justifying the evil- 
doers, or their evil actions, and also by defending false 
religions. 

When an injury has been done to our neighbor by 
any of these sins, he who has caused the injury to be 
done is bound to repair it just as much as if he had done 
it himself Besides the sin of causing injury to be done to 
others^ and the obligation oi repairing it ^Xh^xQ is also the 
guilt of scandal, i. e., of leading tht person into sin who 
did the evil. Now, if the destroying of our neighbor's 
body is a crime which cries to heaven for vengeance 
(Gen. iv. 10), how much more the destroying of his 
soul ? " Woe to the world because of scandals." Such, 
indeed, is the wickedness of man, that there will be 
scandals : " For it must needs be that scandals come, 
but nevertheless woe to the man by whom the scandal 

cometh He that shall scandalize one of these 

little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that 
a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that 
he should be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matt, 
xviii. 6, 7.) 

When is restitution necessary ? Is scandal a sin ? 



Instruction LXXVII. 

The three Eminent Good Works — the Evangelical Coun- 
sels — the Four Last Things to be Remembered, 

Say the Three Eminent Good Works, — I, Prayer; 2, Fasting; 
3, Alms-deeds. 

Say the Evangelical Counsels. — I, Voluntary Poverty; 2, Per- 
petual Chastity; 3, Entire Obedience. 

Say the Four Last Things to be Remembefed,— \^ Death; 2, 
Judgment ; 3, Hell ; 4, Heaven. 



THREE EMINENT GOOD WORKS. 407 

I. The Three Eminent Good Works. — These three 
good works are called E7ninent^ because they are, in a 
most especial manner, pleasing to God ; and because by 
them we devote to God all that we are and all that we 
have. For by Prayer we make to God an offering of our 
soul, with all its powers, and of our heart, with all its 
affections, employing them in Acts of Faith, Hope, 
Charity, Contrition, Adoration, Thanksgiving and other 
virtues. By Fastvig we devote to him our body, with 
all its senses, offering it to him perpetually as a living 
sacrifice. By Alms-deeds we dedicate to him our earthly 
possessions, with all our means of assisting others, using 
them/^^ him in the persons of the poor and of such as 
need our help. 

1. Prayer^ as an Eminent Good Work, comprises not 
only petition, but acts of adoration, praise and thanks- 
giving — acts of faith, hope, charity and contrition, and 
also a good and regular use of the holy Sacraments and 
Sacrifice; and more especially the practice of daily 
meditation, and frequently raising our minds and hearts 
to God. 

2. Fastings as an Eminent Good Work, extends not 
only to a faithful observance of the fasts and abstinences 
commanded by the Church, but to every species of mor- 
tification and self-denial — so necessary for leading a 
spiritual life which is a life of daily penance and self- 
crucifixion. 

3. Alms-deeds^ in like manner, are be taken in a com- 
prehensive sense, foi: they are to be understood as in- 
cluding ^// /^//^^^ of charities^ both corporal and spiritual, 
which we can render to our neighbor. 

By these Three Eminent Good Works we offer to 
God, like the three Wise Men, our frankincense (prayer), 
our myrrh ( fasting), and our gold (alms-deeds.) (Matt. ii. 
II.) Be regular, diligent, fervent and generous in the 
exercise of them, for as the Archangel Raphael said to 

Why are these good works called Eminent ? What does prayer 
comprise ? What d oes fasting extend to ? To what does alms- 
deeds extend ? What do we offer by these three eminent good works ? 



408 THREE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS. 

Tobias, ^''Prayer is good with Fasting and Alms, more 
than to lay up treasures of gold. . . . When thou didst 
pray with tears, and didst leave thy dinner, and didst 
bury the dead, I offered thy prayer to the Lord." (Tobias 
xii. 8, 12.) 

IL The Three Evangelical Counsels. — These 
are called Counsels, because they are not commanded, 
but recommended as a means of greater perfection ; and 
they are called Evangelical Counsels, because they are 
recommended as such in the Gospel. 

I . Voluntary Poverty is a leaving of all things, by our 
own free will, to follow Christ. The practice of this 
Counsel uproots a most dangerous passion. " For they 
that will become rich fall into temptation, and into the 
snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurt- 
ful desires which drown men into destruction and per- 
dition." (i Tim. vi. 9.) "There is not a more wicked 
thing than to love money, for such a one setteth his soul 
to sale." (Eccli. x. 10.) And hence our Blessed Lord 
declares : " That a rich man shall hardly enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to pass 
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter 
into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. xix. 23, 24.) He 
also says : " Woe to you that are rich, for you have your 
consolation" in this world. (Luke vi. 24.) Now, these 
awtul declarations lose their terrors, and the soul is put 
in the most secure way to perfection by the practice of 
this Counsel : "And behold, one came and said to him, 
Good Master, what good shall I do that I may have life 
everlasting ? Who said to him. . . . If thou wilt enter 
into life keep the commandments. . . . The young man 
saith to him : All these have I kept from my youth ; what 
is yet wanting to me ? Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt 
be perfect, go sell what thou hast and give to- the poor, 
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come, fol- 
low me." (Matt, xix 21.) "Peter answering, said to 

Why are the Three Evangelical Counsels called Counsels, and 
why are they called Evangelical ? What is Voluntary Poverty ? Is 
the love of riches a dangerous passion ? 



THREE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS. 409 

him : Behold, we have left all things^ and have followed 
thee ; what therefore shall we have ? And Jesus said 
to them : Amen, I say to you, that you who have fol- 
lowed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man 
shall sit on the seat of his Majesty, you also shall sit on 
twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And 
every one that hath left house, or brethren, or father, or 
mother, or lands, for my name's sake, and for the Gos- 
pel, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life 
everlasting." (Matt. xix. 29; Mark x. 29, 30.) "Blessed 
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
(Matt. V. 8.) 

2. Perpetual Chastity is a voluntary abstaining from 
marriage, in order to dedicate one's self in a more spe- 
cial manner to the love and service of God, and to the 
great work of salvation. It is strongly recommended by 
our Blessed Lord, when he says : " He that can receive 
this word, let him receive itP (Matt. xix. 11, 12.) How 
forcibly also does St. Paul recommend it in his first 
Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says : " I would 
have you to be without solicitude : he that is without a 
wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord> 
how he may please God ; but he that is with a wife is 
solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please 
his wife, and he is divided." And the Revelation made 
to St. John, in the Apocalypse, represents those who 
have observed this Counsel, as singing in heaven a new 
Canticle, which none of the rest of the Blessed can 
sing; and as being privileged to *' follow the Lamb 
whithersoever he goeth." (Apoc. xiv. 3, 4.) 

3. Entire Obedieiice is a total subjection of one's own 
will to that of lawful superiors in all that is not sin. 
The life of Christ was one continued model of perfect 
Obedience. From twelve to thirty years of age all that 
we are told of him is, that he was obedient to those 
whom his heavenly Father had appointed to act as his 

Can you prove that voluntary poverty is a sure way to perfection ? 
What is perpetual chastity ? Is it strongly recommended in the 
Word of God ? What is entire obedience ? 



410 THREE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS. 

superiors : " He went down with them to Nazareth, and 
was subject to them^ (Luke ii. 51.) Thus does he show 
the importance of Obedience. And, as to his Obedience 
to his heavenly Father, he says : " In the head of the 
book (i. e., in the beginning of his Hfe,) it is written of 
me, that I should do thy will : O my God, I have desired 
it, and thy law, in the midst of my heart." (Heb. x. 7 \ 
Ps. xxxix. 8, 9.) " My meat (he says) is to do the will 
of him that sent me, that I may perfect his work." 
(John iv. 34.) And in the end of the book or history 
of his life it is also written of him, that "• he became 
obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross." 
(Philip ii. 8.) How important, then, is Obedience ! It 
is a most effectual means of subduing self-will and self- 
love^ which are our most fatal enemies : " for, if thou 
give thy soul to her desires, she will make thee a joy to 
thine enemies." (Ecch. xviii. 31.) But, on the contrary, 
'' the obedient man shall speak of victories " (Prov. xxi. 
28) ; because Obedience draws down the most special 
and abundant graces ; for, so pleasing is it to God, that 
he says of it, " Obedience is better than sacrifices." (i 
Kings XV. 22.) 

All those persons who enter Religious Orders bind 
themselves (voluntarily) by vow to observe these three 
Evangelical Counsels. 

We frequently hear and read the most bitter invec- 
tives against Monks and Nuns, who devote themselves 
to observe these Counsels. But is there anything in 
these three Maxims of Perfection to call for invective or 
sarcasm ? They who utter or write such things would 
do better to practice these Counsels themselves rather 
than scoff, as they do, at what Christ recommends, be- 
cause they find the observance thereof too difficult for 
them. Let them reflect, before it be too late, upon these 
words of Holy Scripture, which, unless they repent in 
this life, are prophetic of their repentance in the next : 

Can you show its excellence and importance from the life and 
words of Jesus Christ? What bitter invectives are frequently heard ? 
What should those who utter these invectives reflect on ? 



FOUR LAST THINGS. 411 

The wicked, repenting and groaning for anguish of 
spirit, will say within themselves, when they see the sal- 
vation of the just : " These are they whom we had 
some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach. 
We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end 
without honor: behold how they are numbered among 
the children of God, and their lot is among the Saints ! 
Therefore, we have erred from the way of truth, and the 
Hght of justice hath not shined upon us, and the sun of 

understanding hath not risen upon us Such things 

as these the sinners said in hell." (Wisd. v. 1-14.) 

III. The Four Last Things to be Remembered. 
The Holy Scriptures recommend the remembrance of 
•these four last things — Death, Judgment, Hell and 
Heaven, as an effectual means for avoiding evil, and for 
leading a life of innocence and virtue : " In all thy works 
remember thy last end; and thou shalt never sin.'' 
(Eccli. vii. 40.) By the word '^ remembe?^ ^^ we are ad- 
monished to keep our last end always in mind. 

1. Death: We i*^^// die; therefore, we must /r^^r<?/ 
we shall die very soon, because life is short ; therefore, 
we must prepare soon; we may die 2X afiy moment; 
therefore, we must prepare now^ and must keep ourselves 
always ready, 

2. Judgment: For immediately after Death comes 
yudgment ; our soul will be instantly placed before 
Jesus Christ, to render unto him a strict account of all 
that we have thought, said and done during life, whether 
good or evil ; and to receive sentence from him accord- 
ingly. 

3. Hell : If we should be found to be in the guilt 
of mortal sin, that sentence will be followed by an 
Eternity of extreme misery, with the devils and con- 
demned souls, in everlasting flames. 

4. Heaven : But if we shall be found to be in the 
state of sanctifying grace, then it will be followed by an 

Which are the last four things of which Scripture recommends 
the remembrance ? What should we remember about death ? What 
about judgment ? 



412 CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— I. 

Eternity of supreme happiness with God and his Saints 
in the kingdom of heaven. 

If we reflected seriously on these awful truths, how we 
should then fear the great evil of sin, and how carefully 
we should avoid it ! how diligent we should be in making 
use of the means proper for obtaining God's grace, and 
for persevering in our duty to him ! Reflect, therefore, 
frequently and seriously on these truths — on these Four 
Last Things : keep them constantly in mind ; and you 
will find them a powerful preservative against falling 
into sin in time of temptation : " In all thy works remem- 
ber thy last end, and thou shalt never sin." (Eccli. v. 
40.) 

What should we reflect on in regard to hell ? What in regard to 
heaven ? 



EXPLANATION OF THE • 

CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE, 



Instruction LXXVIII. 

The Founding of the Christian Religion — The Rule of 
Life which this Religion Teaches^ viz, : to Hate Sin^ to 
Love God, and to Love our Neighbor, 

Of what Religion are you? — By the grace of God I am a Chris- 
tian. 

Who was the Founder of the Christian Religion ? — Jesus Christ , 
the Son of God, who came down from heaven to teach us the way 
to heaven. 

What rule of life must we follow if we hope to be saved 9 — We 
must follow the rule of life taught by Jesus Christ. 

What are we bound to do by this Rule? — We are bound always 
to hate sin and to love God. 

How must we hate sin? — Above all other evils; so as to be re- 
solved never to commit a wilful sin, for the love or fear of anything 
whatsoever. 

How must we love God ?—AhowQ all things and with our whole 
heart. 



CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— I. 413 

How must we learn to love God ? — We must beg of God to teach 
•us, **0 my God, teach me to love thee ! " 

What else must we do ? — We must often think how good God is, 
often speak to him in our hearts, and always seek to please him. 

And does 7tot yesus Christ teach its also to love one another 7 — 
Yes ; he commands us to love all persons without exception for his 
sake. 

In what manner are we to love one another? — In God and for 
God, so as to wish well to all, and pray for all ; and never to allow 
ourselves any thought, word or deed to the prejudice of any one. 

And are we also to love ou? ene7iiies ? — Yes, we are ; not only by 
forgiving them from our hearts, but also by wishing them well, and 
praying for them. 

I. Our Religion was founded by Jesus Christ, and being 
thus the work of God, it is unchangeable. It varies not 
with times and circumstances, like all human institu- 
tions. Its doctrines of Faith and Morality are the very 
same now as were taught by Christ and his Apostles. 
This constant uniformity is a standing proof of the 
divinity of our Religion, and raises it infinitely above 
all erroneous societies. These retain indeed the name 
of Christian, but when the Catechism here speaks of the 
" Christian Religion^^ it means that Religion of which 
Christ is the Founder — that Religion which is called in 
the Apostles' Creed " The Holy Catholic Church^'' and 
in the Nicene Creed, " The One, Holy, Catholic and 
Apostolic Churchy And that Religion is essentially 

ONE. 

That there would be men setting up their own opinions 
as revealed truths, and calling them the doctrines of 
Christ, was foretold. The Founder of our Holy Reli- 
gion calls such men " strangers," " thieves and robbers " 
(John X. 5, 8, lo, 12, 13), "false prophets," "ravening 
wolves" (Matt. vii. 15), and both He and his Apostles 
caution us against them. (Matt. vi. 15; xxiv. 23-26; 
2 Pet. ii. 1-3, 12.) They are branches cut off and dead. 
The very date of their separation, or of their origin, 

Is the religion founded by Jesus Christ unchangeable? When 
we, in these pages, speak of the Christian Religion, what do we 
mean ? What does the holy Founder of our Rehgion call men who 
set up their own opinions as doctrines of Christ ? 



414 



CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— I. 



Stands against them, and destroys the force of every 
argument which they would urge in their favor. And 
hence, instead of attempting to prove their own doc- 
trines to be true, they exert all their powers in misrepre- 
senting ours, and then inveighing against them. 

It may indeed be said that from the fall of Adam there 
has been but one true Religion. Before the coming of 
Christ all hope of salvation was through the merits of 
the promised Redeemer. (Acts iv. 12.) The Prophets 
all foretold him. Judaism prefigured him, and expressed 
the most ardent desires of his coming. And hence, the 
Christian Religion may be said to have existed from the 
beginning. Yet Christ is its Founder, by fulfilling the 
prophecies and substituting the reality in place of the 
ancient types and figures : ** Do not think (he says) that 
I am come to destroy the law or the prophets ; I am 
not come to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matt. v. 17.) 

After the lapse of more than four thousand years Jesus 
Christ lays the foundation of our Religion by calling his 
twelve Apostles (Luke vi. 13-16), of whom he makes 
St. Peter the head. (Matt. xvi. 18, 19; Luke xxii. 
31, 32 ; John xxi. 15-17.) He teaches them the great 
mysteries of salvation and the most sublime maxims of 
morality, and he confirms his teaching by miracles, for 
at his word " the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are 
cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead rise again (Matt, 
xi. 3-5 ) ; all nature is obedient to his voice. 

After his Death and Resurrection he gives full power 
and commission to his Apostles to teach his doctrines to 
the whole world, and to establish his Church. (Mark 
xvi. 15-20.) To enable them to accomplish this great 
work, he endues them with power from on high, by 
sending down upon them the Holy Spirit (Luke xxiv. 
49; Acts ii. 1-4) to abide with them (John xiv. 16, 17), 
and he promises to be himself perpetually with them. 
(Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) Thus prepared and empowered, 
the Apostles enter upon their mission. They preach 

Has there been at any time, and in all times, more than one Uue 
Religion ? 



CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— I. 415 

and convert ; whole nations profess the faith of Christ, 
and the Christian Rehgion increases, hke the stone cut 
out of the mountain (Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44, 45), so as to 
fill the whole earth. (Col. i. 5, 6 ; Rom. i. 8.) This 
Religion, against which the gates of hell could never 
prevail (Matt. xvi. 18), has continued ever since the 
very same as the Apostles left it, and we ought to thank 
the Providence of God for having provided for us the 
happiness of being members of it. 

II. This holy Rehgion teaches t\iQ Rule of Life, ^\i\c\i 
is set down here in the Catechism. 

1. The first thing we are bound to do by this Rule is 
" to hate sin above all other evils, so as to be resolved 
never to commit a wilful sin for the love or fear of any- 
thing whatsoever.'* As an effectual means of exciting 
such a hatred we should reflect on the greatness of the 
evil of sin — we should consider how it is the greatest of 
all evils, because it is directly opposed to that infinite 
Goodness and Perfection which we ought to love above 
all things ; and also because the consequences of sin are 
infinitely worse than any other evil that can befall us, 
for nothing but sin can rob us of heaven or condemn us 
to hell. We cannot therefore have too great a horror 
and hatred of sin. 

2. The next thing we are required to do by the Chris- 
tian's Rule of Life is, " to love God above all things, 
and with our whole heart;" i. e., to love him with a love 
of preference : we are required to prefer God's will be- 
fore all things else — before our dearest friends, our inter- 
ests or pleasures, or even our very life. The want of this 
preference will condemn many Christians — those mar- 
ried persons, for instance, who prefer husband or wife 
before God — those parents who love their children more 
than they love God — all those persons in every station 
who prefer the creature before the Creator. 

How are we to excite in our hearts the love of God 
above all things ? " We must earnestly beg it of God; " 

What are we bound to do, in the first place, by the Rule of Life 
of the True Religion ? What is the second duty ? 



416 CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE—I. 

for, being his pure gift, it is to be sought by prayer : 
this is the first and most necessary means of obtaining 
it. But God will not grant this precious gift of his love 
unless we show the sincerity and earnestness of our 
prayers, by using such means as are in our power to 
render our petitions effectual. Therefore, we must not 
only pray for the love of God, but we must strive to 
keep the commandments ; and, moreover, we must em- 
ploy our minds in such reflections as are calculated to 
excite divine love in our souls ; and hence, we should 
frequently think on God's infinite Perfections, w^hich 
render him deserving of all our love ; on his infinite 
Goodness toward us, as manifested in our Creation, 
Preservation, Redemption ; in all the corporal and spiri- 
tual blessings conferred upon us in this life; and in the 
eternal glory prepared for us in the next. These are 
most powerful means of exciting the love of God in our 
souls. 

3. To this love of God we must join the love of our 
neighbor : " This commandment we have from God, 
that he who loveth God love also his. brother.*' (i John 
iv. 21.) Our love of our neighbor must have the same 
qualities as our love of ourselves, viz., we must wish him 
well from our hearts, we must act toward him with kind- 
ness, and render him assistance when he needs it and we 
able to render it, and never entertain thoughts or cher- 
ish dispositions to his prejudice. 

The love which we owe to our neighbor must extend 
even to our greatest enemies : we must love them for 
God's sake; so as to forgive sincerely all the injuries 
which they may have done against us ; complying with 
this command of Christ : '^ I say to you : Love your 
enemies; do good to them that hate you; bless them 
that curse you; pray for them that persecute and calum- 
niate you ; that you may be the children of your Father 
who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the 
good and bad, and raineth upon the just and the un- 
just." (Matt. V. 44, 45.) 

What must we join to the love of God ? To whom must it extend ? 



CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— II. 417 

Instruction LXXIX. 

l^he Christian'' s Rule of Life requires us also to deny our- 
selves^ to take up our Cross ^ and to follow Christ, 

What other rules does Jesus Christ give us 9 — **To deny our- 
selves, to take up our cross, and to follow him." (St. Matt. xvi. 24.) 

What is meant by denying ourselves? — The renouncing of our 
own will, and going against our own humors, inclinations and pas- 
sions. 

Why aye we bound to deny ourselves in this manner 9 — Because 
our natural inclinations are prone to evil from our very childhood ; 
and if not curbed and corrected by self-denial, will infallibly carry 
us to hell. 

What is meant by taking up our cross 9 — Patiently submitting to, 
and willingly embracing, the labors and sufferings of this short life. 

And what is meant by following Christy — To follow Christ is to 
walk in his footsteps, by an imitation of his virtues. 

What are the virtues we are to learn of Him 9 — To be meek and 
humble ol heart, to be obedient unto death, and seek to do in all 
things the will of the Father. 

I. To Deny Ourselves. — The self-denial which the 
Christian's Rule of Life requires consists in a general 
mortification of our natural inclinations and passions. 
In consequence of the fall of our first parents, such is 
our natural tendency to evil that mortification is as 
necessary for preserving our souls from sin as salt is for 
preventing meat from becoming tainted : " For, if you 
live according to the flesh, you shall die ; but if, by the 
spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live." 
(Rom. viii. 13.) 

Our practice of virtue, and all our spiritual progress, 
our perseverance and salvation, depend on our imitating 
the life of Christ : now, we do not and cannot imitate him 
unless we renounce ourselves : " If any man will come 
after me, let him deny himself" (Matt. xvi. 24.) Christ's 
whole life was one of suffering and of self-denial : He 
was ^^ despised, and the most abject of men, a man of 
sorrow, .... and as one struck by God and afflicted " 
(Is. liii. 3, 4); and St. Paul says, that "they that are 

What is it to deny ourselves ? What must we do to imitate 
Christ? 

27 



418 CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— II. 

Christ's have crucified the flesh with its vices and con- 
cupiscences." (Gal. V. 24,) 

Adopt, therefore, resolutely^ the practice of mortifica- 
tion ; offer violence to self-love and self-will with firm- 
ness ; a resolute will surmounts all difficulties : " The 
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent 
bear it away." (Matt. xi. 12.) 

There are two kinds of mortification, viz. : external or 
of the senses^ and internal or of the heart. Internal mor- 
tification is far better than that which is merely external ; 
and it consists in correcting and subduing the disorderly 
appetites and passions. 

In order to succeed in the important work of correct- 
ing and subduing your disorderly appetites and passions 
you must begin with outward mortification and self- 
denial ; you must not only abstain from all sinful pleas- 
ures, but you should frequently deprive yourselves even 
of lawful gratification : you will thus acquire habits of 
self-denial, and find less difficulty in overcoming temp- 
tations. For, as St. Gregory observes, we more easily 
refrain from forbidden pleasures when we are accustomed 
to abstain from such as are permitted ; but, says St. 
Clement, of Alexandria, " They who allow themselves 
to do every thing that is lawful will soon do things that 
are unlawful." 

You must acquire a habit of moderating and re- 
pressing your desires : *' Turn away from thy own will ; 
if thou give to thy soul her desires, she will make thee 
a joy to thy enemies." (Eccli. xviii, 31.) 

Examine what passion or disorderly inclination trou- 
bles you most — what is the ruling passion of your heart ; 
and, having discovered it, direct all your force against it 
until you have completely subdued it; imposing a pen- 
ance upon yourself every time you yield to it : "If, by 
the spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall 
live." (Rom. viii. 13.) 

How many kinds of mortification are there ? In order to be 
mortified, where must you begin ? What habits must you acquire ? 
What must you examine ? 



CHRISTIAN'S RULE OF LIFE— II. 419 

A constant and resolute perseverance in these practices, 
if accompanied with continual watchfulness and prayer^ 
will draw down upon you the grace of God, and give 
you a complete victory over your passions. 

If the practice of this continual mortification seem 
difficult to you, look up to heaven and see the recom- 
pense prepared for them that persevere; encourage your- 
self with these words of St. Bernard : " If the labor ter- 
rifies, the reward invites ; " and still more with the divine 
promises : " To him that overcometh I will give the 
hidden manna." (Apoc. ii. 17.) This hidden manna is 
a constant peace of soul and the sweetness of heavenly 
consolations, which a proper practice of mortification 
never fails to produce — it is " the peace of God which 
surpasseth all understanding." (Philip iv. 7.) And 
hence St. Bernard says of those who observe the life of 
the mortified Christian and are discouraged : " They see 
the cross which he carries; but they do not see the 
unction which it brings to the soul." 

II. To TAKE UP OUR Cross. — By taking up our 
Cross, as the Christianas Rule of Life requires, is meant 
" patiently submitting to, and willingly embracing, the 
labors and suffering of this short life." The troubles 
and afflictions of this life — misfortunes, losses, the priva- 
tions of poverty, tribulations, pains, sickness, etc. — are 
all from God : whatever may be the immediate cause of 
them, they are sent by Him, and are designed to with- 
draw your affections from this world, and to afford you 
means of exercising patience, resignation and penance. 
Receive them as such, and they will be to you a source 
of very great merit : *' For that which is at present 
momentary and light of our tribulation worketh for us 
above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory." 
(2 Cor. iv. 17.) Evidently, therefore, they are tokens 
of God's mercy, goodness and love toward you : "- My 
son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord ; neither be 

What should you look to when the practice is difficult ? What 
does To take up our Cross mean ? 



420 CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE. 

thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him j for whom 
the Lord loveth he chastiseth ; and he scourgeth every 
son he receiveth." (Heb. xii. 5, 6.) 

III. To FOLLOW Christ. — "To follow Christ is to 
walk in his footsteps by an imitation of his virtues." 
The virtues which we are especially to learn of him are, 
" to be meek and humble of heart, to be obedient unto 
death, and to seek to do in all things the will of the 
Father." These virtues — meekness, humility, obeaience 
and conformity to the divine will — were most conspicu- 
ous in the life of Christ, and the practice of them is 
most pleasing to God. But the practice of them sup- 
poses a life beset with trials, contradictions and persecu- 
tions ; with humiliations and contempt ; with labors and 
difficulties. Such was the life of Christ; and such is 
also the life of his true followers : " For whom he fore- 
knew (or called to be saintsj he also predestinated to be 
made conformable to the image ofhis Son." (Rom. viii. 
28, 29.) We must expect, therefore, to be exercised with 
trials, humiliations, difficulties, etc. ; whenever God sends 
these we should receive and suffer them, like Christ, in a 
spirit of meekness, humility and obedience to God's will, 
encouraging and consoling ourselves by keeping his ex- 
ample before our eyes, and by looking forward to the 
promised reward : *^ For if we be dead with him, we 
shall live also with him ; if we suffer, we shall also reign 
with him." (2 Tim. ii. 11, 12.) 

What is the meaning of following Christ ? What virtues does it 
require ? What does this suppose, and what must we expect ? 



Instruction LXXX. 

The Enemies of our Salvation^ viz., the Devily the World 

and the Flesh, 

Which are the enemies the Christian must fight against all the 
days of his life ? — The devil, the world and the flesh. 

What do you mean by the Devils — Satan and all his wicked an- 
gels, who are ever seeking 1^ Jraw us into sin, that we may be 
damned with them. 



CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE. 421 

What do you mean by the World? — All wicked company, and all 
such as love the vanities, riches and pleasures of this v^^orld better 
than God. 

Why do you number those among the Enemies of the Soul? — Be- 
cause they are always seeking, by word and example, to carry us 
along with them in the broad road that leads to damnation. 

And what do you mean by the Flesh ? — Our own corrupt inclina- 
tions and passions, which are the most dangerous of all our enemies. 

What must we do to hinder those Enemies from dragging 7is along 
with them to Hell? — We must always watch, pray and fighl against 
all their suggestions and temptations. 

Whom mtcst we depend upon in this warfare? — Not upon our- 
selves, but upon God alone. 

In following the Christian's Rule of Life we must not 
expect to go on without opposition. Hence, the Wise 
Man admonishes us to be prepared for combat: " Son, 
when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice 
and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation." (Eccli. 
ii. I.) In our way to heaven we have enemies to con- 
tend with ; their opposition is violent and persevering — 
it will not cease except with our life. Christ himself 
endured temptations, his Saints have passed through 
many and difficult temptations, and we cannot hope to 
escape : " The life of man upon earth is a warfare." 
(Job vii. I.) Temptations are permitted by Almighty 
God in order that we may have occasions of proving 
our fidelity to him. 

I. The devil is permitted to tempt us: "For our 
wrestling (says St. Paul) is not against flesh and blood, 
but against principalities and powers, against the rulers 
of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of 
wickedness in high places." (Eph. vi. 12.) "Your ad- 
versary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking 
whom he may devour; whom resist ye, strong in faith." 
(i Pet. V. 8.) 

How does the devil tempt us ? 

I, He places before our imagination such representa- 
tions as serve to darken and blind our understanding; 

In following the Christian's Rule must we expect combats, 
enemies and temptations? Is the devil permitted to tempt us? 



422 CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE. 

2, he endeavors to deceive us with promises of false 
happiness; 3, he avails himself of the assistance of our 
self-love, or our love of honors, liches and pleasures. 
Lay aside these fatal attachments — eradicate them from 
your heart — and then you will have no difficulty in 
overcoming the temptations of the devil, for this is laying 
the axe effectually to the root of the evil. 

II. The world 2X^0 (another dangerous enemy) is per- 
mitted to tempt us. By the world we mean that large 
portion of mankind who follow their passions and con- 
cupiscences — who propagate the false maxims of self- 
love, or the seeking of honors, riches and pleasures as 
the chief objects of pursuit — who court the rich and 
powerful while they despise the poor — who ridicule the 
pious and virtuous as weak or superstitious — and who 
frequently make outward professions of kindness and 
friendship when no corresponding feeling exists in the 
heart. Such is the world : " For all that is in the world 
is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of 
the eyes, and the pride of life." (i John ii. 16.) ^' The 
whole world is seated in wickedness." (i John v. 19.) 
And yet it is admired, loved and courted ! Its approba- 
tion is sought after, and its censures are dreaded ! What 
a general fear there is among men of what the world will 
think, or say, or do ! How they dread the idea of being 
laughed at or pointed at by the world ! It is this that 
renders the world so dangerous an enemy, because to be 
ridiculed or laughed at wounds self-love and pride. 

If you would prevent this enemy from exercising its 
dangerous influence over you — i. Labor to destroy your 
attachment to the honors, riches and pleasures of this 
life; be poor of spirit and humble of heart, and then the 
world can make no impression upon you. 2, Do not 
conform to its dissipating and pernicious customs. 3, 
Never court its favor nor fear its frowns, but despise its 
opinions : ^' To me it is a very small thing to be judged 
by you, or by man's day, .... but he that judgeth me 

What is meant by the world ? What must you do to prevent the 
world influencing you ? 



CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE- 423 

is the Lord." (i Cor. iv. 3, 4.) 4, Glory in standing 
up for the cause of God and of virtue, bearing in mind 
the words of our Blessed Redeemer : " Blessed are ye 
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak 
all that is evil against you untruly, for my sake ; be glad 
and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. 
For so they persecuted the prophets that were before 
you." (Matt. V. II, 12.) 

III. The flesh is called the most dangerous of all our 
enemies, and with reason, because it is a domestic 
enemy, and because from it the other two derive their 
force. By the flesh is meant corrupt nature — self-love 
and its passions — our propensity to sensual gratifica- 
tions. 

God created us to serve him in a state of innocence, 
and man had no difficulty, so long as he preserved his 
innocence, in complying with this duty, because his 
heart was upright before God. But after sin the heart 
of man became corrupted and naturally bent upon evil. 
We are under the necessity of resisting this natural tend- 
ency to evil, and hence it is that " the life of man upon 
earth is a warfare." (Job vii. i.) 

Self-love and its passions lead to evil by darkening the 
understanding — by perverting the reason and engaging 
it on their side — by filling the imagination with vain, 
sensual and sinful ideas, and thereby corrupting the 
heart. When the understanding is thus darkened, the 
reason perverted and the heart corrupted, the will easily 
yields, and the more it yields the more it is in danger of 
yielding again. " God seeing that the wickedness of men 
was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their 
heart was bent upon evil at all times, it repented him 
that he had made man on the earth." (Gen. vi. 5, 6.) 

In order to avoid being thus led away by self-love and 
its passions, that is to say, by the flesh, we must employ 

What does the flesh mean ? Why most dangerous ? How does 
the flesh, i. e., self-love and its passions, lead to evil ? In order to 
avoid being thus led away, what are the proper means to employ ? 



424 CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE- 

the proper means : i, We must meditate on such truths 
as will convince us of the vanity and emptiness of the 
transitory enjoyments of this world, and the misery of 
indulging in such as are sinful. 2, We must keep a strict 
watch over our senses, lest they should be a cause of 
temptation and sin. 3, To our watching we must join 
fervent petitions to God, imploring his help and protec- 
tion. 4, Our watching and praying must be accom- 
panied with the practice of mortification and self-denial, 
for we must necessarily " crucify the flesh with its vices 
and concupiscences." (Gal. v. 24.) 5, Being thus armed, 
we are prepared for combat. With these necessary 
weapons we are prepared to fight against all the sugges- 
tions and temptations, not only oi the flesh, but also of 
the other enemies of our salvation. But we must bear 
this truth constantly in mind, that all our watching, and 
praying, and practicing mortification, and all our fight- 
ing against temptation, will not be sufficient to give us 
the victory, unless we avoid the occasions that lead to sin. 
The presence of the immediate occasion of any sin ren- 
ders the temptation to that sin more vivid and violent. 
In the same manner, therefore, as a man cannot " hide 
fire in his bosom and his garments not burn," nor *' walk 
upon hot coals and his feet not be burnt." (Pro v. vi. 27, 
28.) So we cannot expose ourselves wilfully and unneces- 
sarily to the immediate occasions of sin without falling 
victims to temptation, for " he that loveth danger shall 
perish in it." (Eccli. iii. 27.) No matter what our reso- 
lutions may be, the immediate occasions of sin will upset 
them if we expose ourselves to those occasions without 
necessity. 

Therefore, meditate frequently and seriously; watch 
over yourselves continually ; pray without ceasing, and 
earnestly ; mortify your senses and your inclinations ; in 
every assault of your enemies fight manfully, and be care- 
ful to avoid the occasions of sin, and then you may de- 
pend upon God giving you a complete victory ; for 

Will this suffice, if we do not avoid the occasions of sin ? What, 
therefore, must we do ? 



DAILY EXERCISE— I. 425 

although it be necessary that we should employ these 
means, we are not to depend upon ourselves at all in this 
warfare, nor upon our own endeavors, but upon God 
alone; for " unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth 
in vain that keepeth it." (Ps. cxxvi. i.) 



EXPLANATION OF THE 

CHRISTIAN'S DAILY EXERCISE, 



Instruct] ON LXXXI. 

What we are to do in the Mornings and how we are to go 
through the day. 

What is the first thing you should do in the morning 7 — I should 
make the sign. of the cross, and offer my heart and soul to God. 

What should you do next? — I should rise diligently, dress myself 
modestly, and entertain myself with good thoughts. 

What are those good thoughts 7 — Such as thoughts on the good- 
ness of God, who grants me this day to labor in it for the salvation 
of my soul, which day perhaps may be my last. 

And what should you do after you have put on your clothes ? — I 
should kneel down to my prayers, and perform my morning exer- 
cise. 

How should you perform the first part of your morning exercise? — 
I should bow down my whole soul and body to adore my God, and 
offer myself to his divine service. 

How should you perform the second part of your morning exer- 
cise 'i — I should give him thanks for his infinite goodness to me and 
to all his creatures, and desire to join with all the Angels and Saints 
in blessing and praising him. 

How should you perform the third part of your morning exercise? 
— I should crave pardon, from my heart, for all my sins, and beg 
th£t I may rather die than offend my God any more. 

How should yoic perform the fourth part of your morning exercise ? 
— I should offer up to God all my thoughts, words and actions of 
the day, and beg his blessing on them. 

And what prayers sho^dd you say after this ? — I should say the 
Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed, and make Acts 
of Faith, Hope and Love of God. 

Should you do anything else? — I should pray for my friends and 



426 DAILY EXERCISE— I. 

my enemies ; for the living and for the dead ; and beg mercy, grace 
and salvation for all. Then I should conclude by desiring our Blessed 
Lady to be a mother to me, and by recommending myself to my good 
angel and to all the court of heaven. 

Js this all a good Christian should do by way of morning exer- 
cise? — No; for he should also, if he has time and opportunity, medi- 
tate in the morning on his last end, or some other devout subject, 
and hear Mass with attention and devotion. 

What should you do at the beginning of every 7vork or employment? 
— I should offer it up to God's service, and think that I will do it 
because it is his will and in order to please him. 

And what should you do as to your eatings drinking^ sleeping and 
diversion ? — All these things I should use with moderation, and do 
them because such is the will of God and with a good intention to 
please him. 

By what other means should you sanctify your ordinary actions 
and employme7its of the day ? — By often raising up my heart to God 
while I am about them, and saying some short prayer to him. 

What should you do as often as you hear the clock strike ? — I 
should turn myself to God, and say to him, ** O my God, teach me 
to love thee in time and eternity." 

What should you do as often as you receive any blessing from God? 
— I should endeavor immediately to make him a return of thanks - 
givmg and love. 

What should you do when you find yourself tempted to sin ? — I 
should make the sign of the cross upon my heart, and call upon God 
as earnestly as I can, saying, *' Lord, save me, or I perish." 

And what if you have fallen into sin ? — I should cast myself in 
spirit at the feet of Christ, and humbly beg his pardon, saying, 
" Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." 

What should you do when God sends you any cross, or suffering, 
or sickness, or pain? — I should say, *' Lord, thy will be done ; I take 
this for my sins." 

And what other little prayers should you say to yourself from time 
to time in the day ? — Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? Oh, 
teach me to do thy holy will in all things. Lord, keep me from sin. 
Come, my dear Jesus, take possession of my soul. Glory be to the 
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the 
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

This " Christiafi's Daily Exercise " is a very beautiful 
and useful part of the Catechism. It teaches us how we 
are to reduce to practice all the rest, by describing for 
us the method of introducing Religion into all the com- 
mon actions of life. It descends to particulars, and leads 

What is the object of the Christian'' s Daily Exercise? 



DAILY EXERCIbE— I. 427 

us through the various occupations of each day, showing 
us how to render them virtuous and meritorious. 

I. hi the Mornings the first thing you should do when 
you awake is to make the Sign of the Cross, and imme- 
diately to offer your heart and soul to God; thus you 
will consecrate to him the first fruits of the day. In all 
our works a good beginning is of great importance — it 
will draw down the grace and blessing of heaven upon 
what remains to be done ; so that, if we begin well, we 
are in a fair way of ending well. 

When the proper time arrives for rising, rise imme- 
diately, without giving way to slothful indulgence. Ob- 
serve due modesty in dressing, bearing in mind that you 
are in the presence of God and his Angels ; and, as you 
must be thinking of something, strive to acquire the 
habit of occupying yourself with good thoughts, and 
more particularly to call to mind the subject which you 
have chosen for your meditation. \Pare71ts should be 
very careful to preve7it their children from appearing be- 
fore each other without being sufficiently dressed^ which 
would be very injurious to their morals.] 

Being dressed, kneel down to say your Morning Pray- 
ers. Let nothing but real fiecessity prevent you from 
doing so. In performing this duty, begin by placing 
yourselves in the presence of God and imploring his 
assistance. Then, bowing down your whole soul and 
body, adore God as your Sovereign Lord and Creator, 
offering yourselves to his love and service ; thank him 
for all his benefits, begging a continuance of them; 
crave pardon for all your sins, resolving to avoid them 
in future; and offer up to God all your thoughts, words 
and actions of the day, begging his blessing upon them. 
All this may be done according to the following form : 

Behold me, O I,ord, prostrate in thy holy presence, in order to 
bless and praise thine infinite Goodness and to supplicate thy Mercy. 
O, give me grace to pray as I ought! 

What is the first thing to be done in the morning ? What should 
parents attend to ? What should be done when dressed ? What 
form can be used? 



428 DAILY EXERCISE~I. 

Bowing down my whole soul and body, I adore thee as my Sov- 
ereign Lord and Creator, as my first beginning and last end, on 
whom I depend for everything that I have or can hope for. 

With sincere gratitude I acknowledge the many and great bless 
ings which I have received from thy bounty, and I thank thee for 
them. Vouchsafe to grant me a continuance of them. 

I acknowledge also, with heartfelt sorrow, my past ingratitude — 
my many grievous sins committed against thee — and I implore ihy 
forgiveness, resolved, with the help of thy grace, never more to 
offend thee. 

I offer up to thee all my thoughts, words, actions and suffermgs 
of this day, and of my whole life, and beg thy blessing on them, 
and I give myself wholly to thy love and service ; henceforth I will 
live for -thee, and for thee only. My sole intention shall be, during 
the remainder of my life, to please thee, by complying in all things 
with thy holy will. And knowing that I owe a heavy debt of punish- 
ment for my past sins, I desire to make full satisfaction to thy justice 
while I am in this world, and therefore, by all the devotions and good 
works which I shall perform this day, I intend to gain all the Indul- 
gences attached to them, and with this view I offer them to thee now 
for the required intentions. 

Then, in these dispositions and intentions, say the Our 
Father, Hail Maiy^ Apostles' Creed and Co7ifiteor, and 
make Acts of Faith, Hope, Charity and Co?itrition. To 
these may be added such other prayers as shall be suit- 
able to your time and devotion. Neglect not to pray 
for your friends and enemies, both living and dead, and 
to implore the graces and blessings of heaven for all the 
world. And never conclude your morning prayers with- 
out begging the intercession and protection of the Blessed 
Virgin, of your Guardian Angel, of your Patron Saint, 
and of the whole court of heaven. 

Set apart a proper time in the morning for your Medi- 
tation, and be regular and dihgent in this important 
exercise. [And never let a day pass without reading 
some portion of a spiritual book, either in the morning 
or some other part of the day.] 

It is a very devout practice to hear Mass also in the 
morning, whenever time and opportunity permit; hear- 
ing Mass is a most powerful means of grace, and" of 

What prayers should you then say : For what should you set 
apart a proper time ? Should spiritual reading be made ? Should 
you hear Mass daily ? 



DAILY EXERCISE— I. 4z9 

drawing down the divine blessings upon yourselves and 
your families. 

In this manner you should begin the day. 

11. Diiri7ig the day ^ or after you have finished your 
Morning Exercise, until the evening, you will be em- 
ployed in the various occupations of your state of life ; 
and perhaps you will have but little time to spend in 
prayer. Still, we are admonished by our Blessed Re- 
deemer '•' that we ought always to pray." (Luke xviii. i.) 
How can you pray always? By living and acting in 
the spirit of prayer; i. e., by keeping yourselves in the 
divine presence, and by performing all your actions well 
for the love of God, offering them to him, and saying 
some short prayer to him from time to time while you 
are performing them. By this means all your actions, 
even the most trivial — your very eating, drinking, sleep- 
ing and diversions — will be a kind of prayer; for, being 
done with the pure intention of pleasing God, and sanc- 
tified by your manner of performing them, they will be 
a means of drawing down graces and blessings upon you. 

At the beginning, then, of every employment, offer it 
up to God : *^ O my God, I offer up to thee this . . . . ; be 
pleased to give it thy blessing." If the employment be 
one of long continuance, offer it up again occasionally. 
By this means you will walk in the presence of God and 
lay up a rich store of merits for eternity. 

In the course of the day there are other occasions on 
which you ought to think of your Maker. For, as the 
Catechism teaches, you ought to make him a return of 
thanksgiving and love whenever you receive any bless- 
ing from him — such as preservation from some- danger, 
comfort in distress, victory over your passions or over 
any temptation, etc. Never neglect to make this grate- 
ful return; for gratitude for blessings received is the 
surest way of obtaining a continuance of them. 

During the day in what spirit should you live and perform your 
actions? What should be done at the beginning of every em- 
ployment ? Are there occasions on which you should think of God 
in the course of the day ? 



480 DAILY EXERCISE~I. 

Again, if assaulted with temptations, think on your 
weakness, on the fatal consequences of yielding, and, 
remembering that in God alone is your help and safety, 
cry to him with perfect confidence : " Lord, save me, or 
I perish!" (Matt. viii. 25.) This will give vigor to your 
soul and strengthen your resolution against sin. 

But if, unhappily, you have fallen into some sin, oh ! 
think, then, on the uncertainty of human life — that you 
may die suddenly, when you least expect it; think on 
the happiness which you have lost, and the miserable 
eternity into which you are in danger of falling ; think, 
also, on the good God whom you have ungratefully 
offended, and, with a heart full of sorrow, exclaim ; " O 
God, be merciful unto me, a sinner! " (Luke xviii. 13.) 
" For the sake of thy sovereign Goodness, which I love 
above all things, I am sorry from my heart for having 
offended thee ; oh ! forgive me for thy mercy's sake I " 
** Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it 
not from day to day ; for his wrath shall come on a sud- 
den, and in the time of vengeance he will destroy thee." 
(EccU. V. 8, 9.) 

Again, if you feel the hardships of labor, the inclem- 
ency of the weather, the privations of poverty, pain, 
sickness, etc., endeavor to make a merit of these suffer- 
ings ; consider them as coming from the hand of God, 
for your good, to wean your affections from the love of 
this world, and to afford you opportunities of patience, 
resignation and atonement. Receive them, therefore, 
in this spirit, saying from your heart : " Lord, thy will 
be done ; I take this for my sins. * Not my will, but 
thine be done.'" (Matt. vi. 10 j Luke xxii. 42.) 

If you will spend your days in the manner just 
described they will be to you full days : you will thus, 
" by good works, make sure your calhng and election ; 
for, doing these things, you shall not sin at any time ; 
for so an entrance shall be ministered to you abund- 

What, if tempted, should you do? What, if you have fallen into sin ? 
What should you do when you have hardships or privations, etc. ? If 
your days are thus spent, what good will result ? 



DAILY EXERCISE— II. 431 

antly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter i. 10, 11.) For you will 
be entitled to hear, after death, that consoling sentence : 
"Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou 
hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee 
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord/* 
(Matt. XXV. 21.) 



Instruction LXXXIL 

Further Directions how we should go through the Day — 
How we should finish the Day, 

How should you Perform your Evening Exercise? — I should say 
the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and Belief, together with the acts 
of Faith, Hope and the Love of God, etc., as I did in the morning. 

And should you not also join with the Family in saying the Lita- 
nies and other Evening Prayers which are usually said in Catholic 
Families f — Yes ; as also in the daily examination of conscience. 

How should you prepare for your Evening Examination of Con- 
science f — I should place myself in the presence of God, as I usually 
do at the beginning of all my prayers, and beg his light and help to 
know my sins, and to be sorry for them. 

How should you make your Examination of Conscience ? — I 
should consider how I have spent the day from morning till night ; 
in what manner I have performed my prayers and all other duties ; 
what blessings I have received from God ; and what offenses I have 
been guilty of against him by commission or omission. 

What acts should you perform after your Examination of Con- 
science ? — I should give thanks to God for all his blessings, and beg 
pardon for all my sins, endeavoring to make a hearty act of contrition 
for them. 

How should you conclude this Evening Exercise? — I should 
recommend my soul into the hands of God, with the best disposi- 
tions I can of love and conformity to his blessed will, as if I were 
to die that night. 

How should you finish the Day? — I should observe due modesty 
in going to bed; entertain myself with the thoughts of death; and 
endeavor to compose myself to rest at the foot of the cross, and to 
give my last thoughts to my crucified Savior. 

HoTco do you make an Act of Faith? — O Eternal Truth, who hast 
revealed thyself to men, one God in three Persons, Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost, I believe in thee. O Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 
my Savior and Redeemer, who hast died for us all, I believe in 
thee ; I believe all the divine truths which thou, my God, hast 



432 DAILY EXERCISE~II. 

taught us by thy Word and by the Church, because thou hast taught 
them, who art the sovereign Truth; and I had rather die than call 
in question any of these truths. 

Hcnv do you make an Act of Hope? — O my God, who art in- 
finitely powerful, and infinitely good and merciAil, who hast made 
me for thyself, and redeemed me by the blood of thy Son, and 
promised all good through him ; I firmly hope for mercy, grace and 
salvation from thee, through the same Jesus Christ my Savior; 
resolving, on my part, to do all that thou requirest of me. 

How do you make an Act of the Love of God? — O my God and 
my All, infinitely good in thyself and infinitely good to me, I desire 
to praise thee, bless thee and glorify thee forever. Oh, take posses- 
sion of my whole soul, and make me forever a servant of thy love. 

How do you make an Act of the Love of your Neighbor 9 — O my 
God, thou hast commanded me to love every neighbor as myself 
for thy sake : oh, give me grace to fulfill this commandment ! I 
desire to love every neighbor, whether friend or enemy, in thee and 
for thee. I renounce every thought, word and deed that is contrary 
to this love. I forgive all that have in any way offended me, and I 
beg thy mercy, grace and salvation for all the world. 

How do you make an Act of Contrition for your Sins? — O my 
God, who art infinitely good, and always hatest sin, I beg pardon 
from the bottom of my heart for all my offenses against thee ; I 
detest them all, and am heartily sorry for them, because they offend 
thy infinite goodness, and I beg I may rather die than be guilty of 
them any more. 

The last Instruction shows how you should begin the 
day, by offering your whole heart and soul to God, and 
by the due performance of your Morning Exercise — how 
you should go through the day, by doing all your actions 
for God, with the view to please him — how you should 
act when you receive any blessing from God, and also 
when he sends you crosses, afflictions, etc. ; how you 
should have immediate recourse to him for assistance 
and protection when you are tempted to sin; and for 
mercy and pardon whenever you have been so unhappy 
as to offend him. 

I. But besides these there are many other occasions 
which will naturally direct your thoughts to God, as, for 
example, when you hear the clock strike it should re- 
mind you how quickly time passes away. Reflect that 
you are then an hour nearer death, judgment eternity!- 

How can you make use of the various occasions of the day to raise 
your thoughts to God ? 



DAILY EXERCISE— II. 48o 

Resolve to spend the time that remains in loving and 
serving God, and beg that he would enable you to do so: 
" O my God, teach me to love thee in time and eternity." 
When you see a large fire think on the fire of hell, ex- 
claiming with the Prophet Isaias : •• Who can dwell 
with devouring fire ? who shall dwell with everlasting 
burnings?" (Is. xxxiii. 14.) When you see a person 
dying, or dead, or hear the funeral bell from a neighbor- 
ing church, or hear of a sudden death, or pass through 
a churchyard, say to yourself: " My turn may be next : " 
resolVe to prepare immediately for your last hour, and 
to keep yourself always ready, praying in the words of 
the Church : '' From sudden and unprovided death 
deliver me, O Lord." (Lit. of the Saints.) When you 
wash yourself think of the state of your soul — how fre- 
quently it has been defiled with sin — and make fervent 
Ac/s of Contrition^ saying with the penitent David : 
" Wash me yet more from iniquity, and cleanse me from 
my sin." (Ps. 1. 4.) Thunder and lightning will remind 
you of the awful Majesty of God, and also of the day of 
judgment, and will suggest to. you a variety of useful 
reflections, and among the rest this question : *^Am 1 
prepared to stand before the Divine Tribunal ? " When 
you behold the beauties of nature, direct your thoughts 
to heaven, saying with St. Augustine : " If thy magnifi- 
cence, O Lord, be so illustriously displayed in this our 
dungeon, how resplendently shall it blaze forth in the 
palace of thy glory! . . . If this prison afford so many 
comforts, O, what enjoyments are prepared for thy ser- 
vants in their true and everlasting country ! " (SoliL, cap. 
21.) Sincere, genuine piety will suggest to you good 
thoughts on many other occasions during the day. 

II. Having described how you should begiii and go 
through the day, I have now to explain how you should 
e7id it. When you have finished your worldly employ- 
ments, you are not to consider that all the duties of the 
day are completed, for you have yet to perform your 
Eveniiig Exercise. 

Sliould the Evening Exercise be performed ? 
28 



^34 DAILY EXERCISE— II. 

Never neglect your evening devotions, as too many 
do, who lie down to rest at night, Hke the beast of the 
field, without thinking of their Creator. Do not imitate 
them, but before you retire to rest say your Night Pray- 
ers^ and endeavor to say them well. [Heads of families 
should assemble their domestics for the purpose of say- 
ing these prayers in common.] Night prayers should 
consist of the Our Father^ Hail Mary, Apostles' Creed, 
Co7ijiteor^ and the Acts, with some other prayers, accord- 
ing to your devotion, or according to the forms which 
you find in your Prayer Books. 

Your Daily Examination of Conscience should never 
be omitted, but should form a part of your Evening Ex- 
ercise, and it may be made in this manner : First call to 
mind the benefits which you have received from God, 
and thank him for them, imploring a continuance of 
them ; and then examine what sins you have committed 
during the day; make fervent Acts of Contrition for 
them, resolving to avoid them in future, and also the 
occasions of them, and begging God's grace for this 
purpose. Endeavor every night to put yourself into 
such dispositions as you would wish to be in at the 
moment of your deatli. 

Never conclude your Evening Exercise without recom- 
mending yourself to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary, and all the Saints and Angels, and begging your 
good Angel to guard and preserve you during the night. 
When undressing yourself remember that God and his 
holy Angels see you. And when you get into bed say : 
'* In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I lie down to 
rest. Lord, I offer my sleep to thee \ preserve me this 
night from all evils of soul and body." Thus even 
your sleep will be sanctified. 

Begin and spend the next day according to the same 
plan, and so on as long as you live, and then your life 
will be a life of virtue, and will entitle you hereafter to 
the possession of your God in a happy eternity. 

Of what prayers should it at least consist ? How do you make 
the daily examen of conscience ? What should be done before con- 
cluding your Evening Exercise ? 



DAILY EXERCISE— II. 435 

Besides the daily Examination of your Conscience 
every night on your conduct during the day, you would 
do well to examine yourself every Sunday on your corj- 
duct during the week; and to compare one week with 
another, humbling yourself at the sight of your sins, and 
resolving to spend the next week better. You must, of 
course, examine yourself again when you prepare for 
Confession or Communion on your conduct since your 
last Confession. Make it a point to approach frequently 
to the holy Communion, or at least as often as your 
spiritual director shall advise. At those times renew 
your fervor in God's service, and form plans for the 
amendment of your life. By means of these self-exam- 
inations, and the graces of the Holy Communion, you 
will be enabled to keep yourself always ready for appear- 
ing before your God whenever he shall be pleased to 
call you out of this life into eternity. 

Conclusion. — Be always striving to practice this 
^' Christian's Daily Exercise," which the Catechism re- 
commends; persevere in this method which is pointed 
out to you. Then you will "be perfect, as also your 
heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt. v. 48.) You will be 
"laying up to yourself treasures in heaven," which no 
one can take from you. (Matt. vi. 19, 20.) You will be 
" like the wise man, who built his house upon a rock ' 
(Matt. vii. 24, 25); for you will be firmly established on 
the rock of solid virtue, which no temptation will be 
able to shake. You will enjoy true contentment of heart 
and peace of conscience here during life, and the sight 
and possession of God for all eternity in the kingdom of 
heaven. 

" Meditate upon these things ; be wholly in these things ; 
that thy profiting may be manifest to all. Take heed to 
thyselj and to doctrine ; be earnest in them ; for in doing 
this thou shall both save thyself and them that hear thee'' 
(i. Tim. iv. 15, 16.) 

Besides the daily examen what else should you do ? What should 
we conclude to do ? 

FINIS. 



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